FISHES OF THE PHH,IPPINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SEAS 221 



Odontonectes erythrogaster Gunthee, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 1, 1859, p. 265 

 (Amboina; Molucca Sea). — Schmeltz, Cat. Mus. Godeffroy, No. 4, 1869, 

 p. 13 (Viti Levu; Samoa). — KAeoli, Termesz. Fiizetek, Budapest, vol. 5, 

 1881, p. 153 (Singapore). — Boulenger, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1887, p. 

 656 (Muscat). 



Caesio erythrochilurus Fowler, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, ser. 2, 

 vol. 12, 1904, p. 528, pi. 19, upper fig. Padang, Sumatra. 



Caesio lunaris (not Cuviee) Fowler, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1927, 

 p. 278 (Bacon specimen). 



Depth 21/3 to 24^; head 3 to 3%, width 1% to 2i^. Snout S% 

 to 4% in head from snout tip; eye 3 to 4%, greater than snout in 

 young to 1 to I14 with age, little greater than interorbital in young 

 to 1% to 11/2 with age; maxillary reaches front eye edge or 14= ^^ 

 eye, expansion 1% to 2i/^ in eye, length 2% to 314 in head; teeth 

 villiform, in bands in jaws, on vomer and palatines, also pair of 

 small protruding wide set canines in each jaw anteriorly; on each 

 side of snout above premaxillary bony denticle like projection; nar- 

 row band of villiform teeth across vomer and small patch on each 

 palatine; interorbital 3 to 3%, convexly elevated; preopercle flange 

 entire, with parallel venules all along margin. Gill rakers 11 to 

 13 + 24 to 27, lanceolate, % of giU filaments or 1% to 1% in eye. 



Scales 45 to 50 in lateral line to caudal base and 3 to 7 more on 

 latter ; 7 or 8 scales above lateral line, 3 to 7 below, 23 to 27 predorsal 

 forward above hind nostril of which 6 to 20 to occiput, 4 or 5 rows on 

 cheek. Suprascapula entire. Scales with 13 to 22 basal radiating 

 striae; apical denticles 72 to 154, minute, feeble, each with 13 to 20 

 transverse series of basal elements ; circuli very fine. 



D. X, 15, 1, third spine 2 to 21^ in total head length, first ray 2% 

 to 3I/2; A. Ill, 11, I, once abnormally 6, second spine 2i/^ to 3%, 

 first ray 24/^ to 3% ; caudal 23^ to 314 in combined head and body 

 to caudal base, widely forked, with slender pointed lobes; pectoral 

 2% to 3; least depth of caudal peduncle 2% to 3^4 in total head 

 length; ventral 1% to 1%. 



Back drab brown, with lustrous lilac and purplish reflections. 

 Lower sides and below whitish. Iris brownish. Dorsals and cau- 

 dal dull brown, other fins lighter or whitish. 



India, Singapore, East Indies, Philippines, Queensland, Polynesia. 

 Bleeker's figure, though good in contour, squamation and other de- 

 tails, gives a poor if not misleading idea of the dentition. It does 

 not show the outwardly flaring canines in the front of each jaw. 

 In the young, however, they are more inconspicuous and erect, 

 though easily evident to touch in the closed mouth. The young 

 also have a dusky brown axillary blotch which is only partially 

 exposed as a small inconspicuous dark spot at the pectoral origin. 

 Bloch's figure of Spams cuning is poor and is evidently rightly 



