60 • FISHES FROM BRAZIL 



188. Halichoeres irideus Starks, new species. 

 Plate 8. 



The head is contamed from 3^4 to 33^2 times in the length to the base 

 of the caudal, and the depth from 3^ to 4 times. The eye is equal in 

 diameter to the interorbital bone (though the interorbital space is somewhat 

 wider) and is contained 5 times in the head. The snout is contained from 

 2^ to 3 times. 



The fin formula is, dorsal IX, 11 ; anal III, 12. The pectoral usually 

 reaches well past the ventral to opposite the vent. Its length is contained 

 1^ times in the head. The ventrals are sharp-pointed but not filamentous. 

 The caudal is slightly rounded, but conspicuously angulated at the tips of the 

 outer rays. The front of the anal is midway between the middle of the eye 

 and the base of the caudal, or varying from the former point to the front of 

 the eye. The lateral line is on 28 scales, and the pores are trifurcate. The 

 scales in front of the dorsal are not reduced in size, and do not cover the 

 median line of the back. 



In life the colors of this species are particularly brilliant. The ground 

 color of the side of the head and anterior part of the body is clear yellow, 

 which gradually changes to green posteriorly, then to electric blue, and to a 

 brilliant darker blue on the caudal, while dorsally the color of the body shades 

 into brownish orange, and ventrally into lavender. Two narrow, longi- 

 tudinal, brilliant orange stripes cross the lower part of the side. A bright 

 blue stripe runs from the snout to the eye, and two run from the eye to the 

 nape. The lower jaw is lavender. A large coal-black spot almost as wide 

 as the eye and twice as long is about equally on the base of the first dorsal 

 rays and the back. A smaller one is on the base of the last two rays and the 

 back. This is much more conspicuous than in other species that have a spot 

 under the last ray. A third one is on the last scales at the base of the 

 caudal just above the middle caudal rays. All of these spots are conspicu- 

 ously ocellated with blue. The dorsal is marked with longitudinal stripes 

 of blue and orange, and the anal with blue and pinkish color. 



In alcohol the ocellated spots are very clear black and plain. A black 

 dot is on the upper part of the pectoral base, and two dark brown stripes run 

 irregularly from the eye to the nape. The two stripes on the lower part of 

 the side are scarcely, or but slightly, evident. The median caudal rays are 

 dusky, and the other fins are almost colorless. 



The species may be at once known from all other American species by 

 the large, black, ocellated spots on the back. 



