FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SEAS 31 



Depth 31/8 to 33/5 ; head 3 to 3%, width 2i/8 to 21/5. Snout 32/3 to 

 4c% in head from snout tip ; eye 31/3 to 4, greater than snout or inter- 

 orbital, subequal with snout with age ; maxillary reaches l^ to l^ in 

 eye, expansion 1% to 234 in eye, length 2% to 3 in head from snout 

 tip; teeth uniserial, small, conic, with 4 canines in front of each jaw 

 of which upper pair closer and each outer pair larger; fine band of 

 small short teeth on vomer and palatines; interorbital 4% to 5%, 

 little convex. Gill rakers 5 + 13, lanceolate, % of gill filaments, 

 which 1% in eye. 



Scales 30 to 36 in median lateral series to caudal base and 7 to 10 

 more on latter; upper section of lateral line with 23 to 28 tubular 

 scales, lower section with 7 or 8 to caudal base and to 2 more on 

 latter; 2 to 4 scales above lateral line, 9 to 12 below, 11 to 20 pre- 

 dorsal forward opposite front eye edge, 3 or 4 rows on cheek to pre- 

 opercle ridge and flange naked. Scales with 12 to 15 basal radiating 

 striae; apical denticles 45 to 68; circuli very fine. 



D. Ill, 26, 1, of which half or more of anterior rays simple, third 

 spine 3% to 5 in total head length, fourth ray 1% to 2i^ ; A. II or 

 III, 14, I, second or third spine 2% to 31/4, fourth ray 2 to 2%; 

 caudal 1% to I145 rounded convexly behind; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle 1% to 1% ; pectoral ly^ to 1% ; ventral I14 to ly^- 



Brown, paler on lower surfaces of head and body. Slightly 

 darker horizontal bands, ill defined, follow in courses of scales on 

 body. Iris neutral brown to slate. Along hind eye edge narrow 

 dusky border. Dorsals and anals brown to dusky marginally, with 

 5 to 7 pale longitudinal lines, usually most contrasted on soft fins. 

 Caudal usualh^ yellowish, becomes dusky terminally, often upper 

 and lower borders broadly whitish, sometimes fin uniformly dark. 

 Paired fins always pale or yellowish. 



Andamans, East Indies, Philippines. Though closely related to 

 Pseudochromis fuscus my examples always distinguished by the 

 yellowish or pale ventrals. While quite variable the extremes are 

 far less than in Pseudochromis fuscus, the species always uniformly 

 more pale. In alcohol many specimens are quite light or yellowish 

 white to uniformity. They intergrade in color into the darker 

 examples. 



Two examples. Alibi jaban Island, Ragay Gulf. Luzon. ^Slaroh 6, 1909. Length 



28 to 51 mm. 

 16644. Bagauga Bay, Mindanao. May 13, 1908. Length 62 mm. 

 22728. Biri Channel. Luzon. .Tune 1, 1909. Length 61 to 66 mm. 2 examples. 

 One example. Biri Channel. June 2, 1909. Length 66 mm. 

 6110. Bolinao Bay, Luzon. May 10, 1909. Length 38 mm. 

 22778. Busin Harbor, Burias Island. April 23. 1908. Lengtli 61 mm. 

 15304. Busin Harbor. March 8, 1909. Length 61 mm. 

 16831. Butauanan Island. June 12, 1909. Length 67 mm. 



