FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SEAS 259 



emarginate with age and upper lobe longer; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle 2% to 3% ; pectoral 1 to II/2 ; ventral ly^ to 1%. 



Young brown generally on head and body, with large well defined 

 round creamy blotch above eye and on predorsal; one on back at 

 junction of dorsals; one including snout before eye; another includes 

 lower cheek, opercle and chest, this often joining another below 

 pectoral extending over breast to ventral base; one on flank just 

 behind gill opening ; one on ventral region from opposite ventral ends 

 to anal fin; one over caudal peduncle. With age one or several 

 dark spots appear in pale areas. Iris yellowish white. Spinous 

 dorsal deep brown over basal %. Soft dorsal variably dark brown 



Figure 21. — Flectorhinchus chaetodonoides LACfipfioB. Variation of color 



MARKINGS 



as basal band or blotches, also variably with deep brown spots, other- 

 wise white. Caudal with base brown, from broad band over caudal 

 peduncle, this extending with median angular point into white of 

 fin, which otherwise blotched with deep brown. Anal whitish, deep 

 brown basally, otherwise whitish, terminally with dark spots. Paired 

 fins neutral black, with white terminal leaving small black spots. 

 Dark brown color of young breaks in rounded spots with age and 

 others form in the pale areas, so adult becomes covered with large 

 deep brown spots. These, however, largely absent from under surface 

 of head and trunk with age, also pectoral fins, though paired fins 

 largely deep neutral. 



Singapore, East Indies, Philippines, Melanesia, Polynesia. A 

 very handsome sxDCcies, the young esj)ecially with striking color 



