264 



BULLETIN 10 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



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

 2y8 in head ; eye 3% to 5i^ , 1 to 2V^ in snout, 1 to I14 in interorbital 

 or greater than interorbital in young ; maxillary reaches l^ in eye in 

 young and not quite to eye with age, expansion I14 to 31/^ in eye, 

 length 2% to 3% in head ; slit along each side of snout in front ; lips 

 thick, rather broad, fleshy, not reaching hind maxillary end; teeth 

 pointed, conic, in rather wide bands in jaws; palate and tongue 

 toothless; interorbital 3% to 4^/^, convex; preopercle edge finely 

 serrate, serrae about 32. Gill rakers 6 + 14, pointed, y^ of eye. 



Scales 82 to 117 along lateral line to caudal base and 10 to 17 more 

 on latter; tubular scales 57 to 70 in lateral line to caudal base and 



Figure 23. — Plectorhinchus pictus (Thunberg). Variation of color markings 



9 to 12 more on latter; 17 to 19 scales above lateral line, 20 to 22 

 below, 48 to 68 predorsal until midway in space between snout tip 

 and nostrils, 20 to 25 rows on cheek. Suprascapula finely serrated. 

 Scales with 6 or 7 basal radiating striae; apical denticles 56 to 58, 

 small, pointed, with 10 or 11 transverse series of basal elements; 

 circuli fine. 



D. X or IX, 23, i to 25, i, third spine 2 to 3 in head, seventeenth 

 ray 2 to 2i/6 ; A. Ill, 7, i, third spine 22/5 to 3, second ray 1% to 1% ; 

 caudal 1 to 1 l^, little emarginate, rounded in young; least depth of 

 caudal peduncle 2% to 3 ; pectoral ll^ to 1% ; ventral 11/5 to 1^4. 



Brown .generally, paler on sides and below. Head above, back, 

 dorsals, and caudal marked with close-set rounded darker blotches, 

 each much wider than pale interspaces and fading out on sides and 



