70 



BULLETIN 214, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Sizes are brown, and the largest are greenish. The color marks for 

 the phases observed pass gradually from one to the other on the large 

 senes of specimens before me, but are remarkably constant and of a 

 defimte pattern. The color in alcohol of each stage is described below 

 A striped color phase was observed in specimens between the 

 lengths of 12 to 57 mm.: A'pale streak occurs along base of dorsal 

 below It a brownish one followmg anterior lateral line and ending on 

 dorsal surface of peduncle, then 3 more brown lengthwise streaks 

 separated by narrow pale streaks; the 2 middle brown streaks on sides 

 each end m a brown spot at base of caudal fin rays; these alternating 

 pale and dark streaks strongly developed on smallest specimens 14 5 

 mm. m length; all fins whitish; on snout a pale V-shaped mark with 

 apex anteriorly and ending at orbits. 



A brown color phase was observed in specimens between the lengths 

 of 50 to 190 mm. : Body varying from light brown to dark brown with 

 caudal peduncle abruptly paler or very light brown, sometimes 

 whitish a large round blackish to dark brown spot at midbase of 

 caudal fin rays, the caudal fin pale, usually same color as peduncle 

 but distally somewhat dusky and edged with a white line; dorsal 

 anal, pelvic fins gray or brown to blackish, outer edge of first pelvic 

 ray pale; pectoral pale; teeth pale or light olive, becoming faintly 

 tmged with green m the specimens intermediate in color pattern 

 between the brown and green color phases; opercle and interopercle 

 usual y paler than preopercle. This color phase contains both male 

 and females. Some of the largest specimens (above 135 mm in 

 standard length) are females with nearly mature eggs 



A variant of the brown color phase, with a few pairs of silvery scales 

 on sides was also observed: Mouth reddish; body purpHsh gray or 

 purphsh brown, with 3 pair of silvery scales posteriorly and one in 

 middle of dusky spot on caudal fin base; dorsal fin light pinkish 

 brown; caudal peduncle light pinkish brown, grading into light 

 yellowish brown on caudal fin; pectoral fin pinkish. This color phase 

 was described under the name C. margaritus (Cartier) in Weber and 

 de Beaufort (Fishes of the Indo-Australian Archipelago vol 8 n 313 

 ^^^^\l^i^l''^^''^''^ ^^^° ^U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull, looi v'ol.'y, p.' 

 397 1928) However, the two specimens, USNM 84242, mentioned 

 by the latter authors, have 3 rows of scales on the cheek and are not 

 related to this species. The original description by Cartier of 

 margantus mdicates that it is a synonym of S. sordidus 



A green color phase was observed in specimens at lengths greater 

 than 160 mm.:_ Body light ohve to light brownish (greenish when ahve), 

 fins marked with green; outer % of dorsal fin green, basal % pale (red 

 when alive); outer % of anal fin green, basal % pale (red when alive); 

 edge of upper lip pale, then submarginally a wide green band across 



