FISHES OF THE PHILH'PINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SEAS 201 



series, in horizontal rows along body. Head, except muzzle, scaly. 

 Fins scaleless. Dorsal spines 9, rays 15 or 16. Anal spines 3, rays 

 12 or 13. Caudal forked. Pectoral pointed. Ventral small. 



GYMNOCAESIO ARGENTEUS (Bloch) 



Bodianus argenteus Bloch, Naturg. Ausland, Fische, vol, 4, 1790, p. 57, pi. 

 231, fig. 2. " Mltellandische Meer " [doubtless erroneous, evidently Indo- 

 Pacific]. — Walbaum, Artedl Pise, vol. 3, 1792, p. 673 (on Bloch). — 

 Schneider, Syst. Ichth. Bloch, ISOl, p. 332 (on Bloch). — LACfipfDE, Hist. 

 Nat. Poiss., vol. 4, 1802, pp. 279, 286 (on Bloch). 



Caesio argenteus Cuviee, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 6, 1830, p. 437 (East Indies). — 

 GiJNTHEB, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 1, 1859, p. 393 (compiled) ; Journ. 

 Mus. Godeffroy, vols. 2-3, pts. 5-6, 1874, p. 33, pi. 24, fig. B (Kingsmills).— 

 Bleeker, Nederland. Tijds. Dierk., vol. 4, 1874, p. (117) 150 (China).— 

 Fowler, Mem. Bishop Mus., vol. 10, 1928, p. 204 (compiled). 



Caesio gi/mnoptcrus Bleeker, Nat. Tijds. Nederland. Indie, vol. 10, 1856, p. 

 372. Ternate. — Guntheir, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 1859, p. 394 (copied). — 

 Bleeiveb, Atlas Ichth. Ind. N6erland., vol. 7, 1873-1876, pi. (32) 310, 

 fig. 5. 



Stnans gymnopterus Bleeker, Arch. Neerland. Sci. Nat., vol. 8, 1873, p. 181. 



Oymnocaesio gymnopterus Bleekek, Atlas Ichth. Ind. Neerland., vol. 8, 1876- 

 1877, p. 34 (Flores, Temate, Amboina). — Beaufort, Bijd. Dierk., Amster- 

 dam, pt. 19, 1913, No. 9, p. 123 (Ambon). 



Depth 41/2 to 5 ; head 31^ to 4, width 2i/4 to 2i/o. Snout 41/5 to 

 4I/2 in head ; eye Z% to 4, greater than snout or interorbital ; maxil- 

 lary reaches eye, expansion 2 to 2V^ in eye, length 3 to 3i/^ in head ; 

 teeth very small; interorbital 4I/2 to 4%, slightly convex. Gill 

 rakers 10 + 21, lanceolate, longer than gill filaments or li^ in eye. 



Scales 68 to 70 in lateral line to caudal base and 2 or 3 more on 

 latter; 6 scales above lateral line, 11 or 12 below, 34 to 36 predorsal 

 forward opposite hind nostril, 9 rows on cheek, of which 4 on pre- 

 opercle flange. Scales with 5 or 6 basal radiating striae; apical 

 denticles 18 to 23, strong points with 1 or 2 series of basal elements ; 

 circuli fine. 



D. X, 14 or 15, second dorsal spine 1"% to 2 in total head length, 

 third ray 31/3 to 31/2; A. Ill, 12, third spine 21/2 to 31/5, first ray 

 2% to 3; caudal ll^ to I14, deeply forked; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle 3% to 4; pectoral I14 to 1%; ventral 1% to 2. 



Back light brown, below silvery white. White line from above 

 eye to upper edge of caudal peduncle, also 2 more parallel broken 

 lines above, these mostly as spots or bars and very variable. Iris 

 silvery white. Dorsals pale brownish, other fins whitish. 



East Indies, China, Melanesia. The differences as shown in Gar- 

 rett's figure as published by Giinther, and Bleeker's figure, are evi- 

 dently due to inaccuracies in the former. Garrett shows the scales 

 about 60 in a lateral series and Bleeker about 75. A very elegant, 

 trim little fish, the most slender of its family. 



