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



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 18 stations, 59 specimens, 14 to 68 mm. in standard length. 



Eniwetok Atoll: 6 stations, 46 specimens, 13 to 71 mm. 



Rongelap Atoll : 8 stations, 44 specimens, 23 to 59 mm. 



Rongerik Atoll: 3 stations, 10 specimens, 26 to 69 mm. 



Guam: 9 lots, 20 specimens, 17 to 78 mm. 



Saipan: 1 lot, 2 specimens, 65 to 69 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal rays i,8; anal i,8 occasionally i,7; pectoral 

 rays ii,13 to 15, usually ii,14; branched caudal rays 4+3; gill rakers 

 on first arch 8. 



Depth 2.2 to 2.4; width of body at pectoral insertion 3.5 to 4.1; 

 head 2.4 to 2.7; all in standard length. Snout 1.4 to 1.6; diameter of 

 eye 3.6 to 4.5; least depth of caudal peduncle 1.7 to 2.3; length of 

 pectoral fin 2.4 to 2.9; height of dorsal fin 2.1 to 2.6; height of anal 

 2.3 to 3.2; postorbital part of head (upper edge of gill opening to 

 margin of eye) 4.0 to 4.4; interorbital width 3.1 to 3.8; all in length of 

 head. Angle of snout profile with axis of body 42 to 43 degrees, 

 snout concave in small specimens, straight in largest males (78 mm.). 



Back smoothly rounded in some specimens, keeled to strongly 

 keeled in others; a fleshy median ridge often present on bell}^ extending 

 forward either a short distance or to chin; interorbital concave; 

 small spines present in skin, thickly distributed over head and body 

 except naked areas around mouth, bases of fins, and a small area on 

 posterior side of caudal peduncle; first pectoral ray about half height 

 of second, hind margin of caudal fin slightly convex; dorsal fin origin 

 posterior to insertion of last dorsal ray. 



Color in alchool. — Color and pattern somewhat variable; in most 

 specimens ground color of head, back, and sides light reddish brown 

 to dark greyish brown; round white bluish spots smaller than pupil, 

 usually with narrow dark border, evenly distributed over entire head, 

 body, and caudal fin; sometimes spots on cheek with dark centers; 

 2 or 3 light spots just behind corner of mouth forming short length- 

 wise bars, but in none of our specimens do these short bars extend 

 as far back as eye; spots along lower cheek ending ventrally in a clean 

 even line along chin and throat; lips, chin, throat, and belly light 

 yellowish white to greyish white; belly streaked with thin dark lines 

 just anterior to vent, these lines sometimes broken into dark spots, 

 sometimes absent, not extending anterior to throat; 9 to 12 short 

 radiating dark brown or blue lines around eye, anterior and dorsal 

 lines extending onto dorsal part of snout or interorbital, sometimes meeting 

 its fellow, sometimes breaking into one or two dark spots; lines 

 radiating from posterior part of eye usually very short, but longer on 

 one or two small specimens and extending toward dorsal fin base 

 or meeting their fellows across back; a dark spot, sometimes ocellated, 

 at base of dorsal fin, sometimes scarcely evident; if ocellated, the light 



