118 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 02 Vol. 3 



some smaller, some larger, than pupil, scattered over head and body; 

 a ring of small dots ai'ound eye; 2 or 3 dots on each side of caudal 

 peduncle; fins all pale white, yellowish, or transparent. The spots 

 proportionately less numerous and smaller as specimens increase in 

 size. 



Remarks. — After carefully examining about 50 specimens of this 

 species of various sizes from many parts of the PaciJSc and Indian 

 oceans, we have concluded that the colors and patterns, in alcohol 

 at least, are exceedingly variable as may be noted in the color de- 

 scriptions above. Therefore, we have combined all of the specimens, 

 even though they deviate from the normal pattern, under one name. 

 In so doing we have undoubtedly included several nominal species. 



OSTRACION MELEAGRIS Shaw 



Plate 141,C,D 



Ostracion meleagris Shaw, in Shaw and Nodder, Naturalist's miscellany, vol. 7, 



pi. 253, 1796 (type locality. Southern Ocean). 

 Ostracion lentiginosus Bloch and Schneider, System ichthyologiae . . ., p. 501, 



1801 (type locality, India, about Francis Island). 

 Ostracion sebae Bleeker,^^ Nat. Tijdschr. Nederl.-Indie, vol. 2, p. 259, 1851. 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 3 stations, 3 specimens, 32 to 40 mm. in standard length. 

 Eniwetok Atoll: 3 stations, 5 specimens, 37 to 115 mm. 

 Rongelap Atoll: 2 stations, 2 specimens, 111 to 134 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal rays i,6 to i,8; anal i,7 or 8; pectoral rays 

 ii,9; branched caudal rays 4+4; teeth upper jaw 10 to 12, lower jaw 

 9 to 11. Gill rakers on first arch 9 to 11. 



Depth of body 2.2 to 3.2; width across dorsal surface 2.2 to 3.1; 

 across ventral surface 1.9 to 2.9; head 2.8 to 3.8; all in standard 

 length. Snout 1.2 to 1.5; eye 2.5 to 3.3; least depth of caudal peduncle 

 2.8 to 4.0; length of pectoral fin 1.5 to 1.7; postorbital part of head 

 4.0 to 5.2; interorbital 1.05 to 1.2; aU in length of head. Angle of 

 snout profile with lengthwise axis of body 45 degrees in females, 

 concave, 50 degrees in males, convex. 



Body very short, almost square in young (40 mm.) growing more 

 elongate with age ; ventral ridge more developed in adult females than 

 in males; anal fin originates under fifth or sixth branched dorsal ray; 

 first pectoral fin ray very short, tuberculate; gill opening not extend- 

 ing forward beyond hind margin of eye; in young, gill opening con- 

 necting with a groove that runs along base of pectoral fin; in very 

 young, median dorsal ridge evident, lateral and pelvic ridges tubercu- 



29 According to Fraser-Brunner (Ann. Mae:. Nat. Hist., ser. 11, vol. 6, pp. 391-392, 1940) O. sebae Bleeker 

 is the male of 0. lentiginosus Bloch and Schneider, which is the female. The specimens examined by us 

 verified that observation. 



