A ^VA'ir TllRKADFTN—JORDAX AM) Mr(;REGOR. 815 



Dorsal, VlII-1, 13; anal, III, 12; scales, (>S; 5 free pectoral rays, 

 the longest reaching tip of ventral; eye, 4 in head; scales rather small, 

 ctenoid. 



This species, the common Poly dactyl us of Japan, locally known as 

 Agoiiashi. (the tish without a jaw), was referred by Schlegel to Poly- 

 neiiiHs j>le}},jm Broussonet, a common species of the coral reefs of the 

 South Pacific originally described from Tahiti. From this species it 

 differs notably in color and also in minor details of form. The two 

 are, however, closely related. 



In form Poly dactyl us agonasl is very similar to P. plehejm^ but 

 the coloration of the two species is different; in P. plehejus the general 

 color is very dark, the fins are almost lilack and the bod}^ is brown; 



POLYDACTYLUS AGONASI. 



above the lateral line there is a series of narrow dark brown lines 

 extending along the entire side of body; opposite base of second dorsal 

 there are 7 of these dark lines above lateral line; below lateral line 

 the}^ are faintly developed. 



The coloration in P. agonad in alcohol is pale silvery yellow; first 

 dorsal and pectoral speckled with dark l)rown. There are no dark 

 stripes, or mere traces of streaks along the rows of scales. 



In /*. plehejus the second dorsal and anal are more concave and caudal 

 more falcate than in P. agonasl; the scales are of the same size in the 

 two species. 



The type of Polydactylus agonasl (Tokyo, K. Otaki) is numbered 

 55600, U.S.N.M., two other specimens (coty pes. No. 9879, Stanford 

 University) are in Stanford University from Tokyo. 



The species was found by Jordan and Snyder rather connnon at 

 Nagasaki and somewhat rare in the markets of Tokyo. 



The specimens from Kotosho, Formosa, recorded by Jordan and 

 Evermann,« with the scales 50, belongs apparently to Polydacti/lu.H 

 zophoruns. 



• «Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XXV, p. 351. 



