358 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



evident on all specimens; below the series at base of dorsal are two other series of 

 the same blotches less deep in color and not so well defined, extending the length 

 of body and sometimes forming, with the upper series, more or less broken vertical 

 bars; between the blotches a lighter shade of brown is interwoven with pale streaks 

 of ground color; head nearly pale below, save some dark on chin and isthmus; two 

 wide streaks from eye across cheek ; opercle dark brown ; top of head wath the color 

 of body; lips with brown and pale stripes; posterior half of maxillary pale; dorsal 

 rather dark; caudal uniform gray or faintly barred; anal similar to dorsal in color; 

 the rays with pale tips forming a white edge; peotoral like caudal; ventrals pale. 



A rather plainly marked species of different aspect from other Puerto Rican species 

 oi Malaeocienus, but not differing widely in anj' important character. It seems most 

 closely related to M. lugubris. Three specimens of about the same size ; the type, No. 

 49369, U. S. N. M., 1.38 inches in length, from the reefs outside the harbor of Culebra, 

 February 9, 1899. 



13. Malacoctenus moorei Evermann & Marsh, new species. 



Head 3.6; dei>th 3.7; eye 3.5; snout 3.4; maxillary 4.5; mandible 4.5; tnteror- 

 bital 4; scales 3-45-5; D. xxil, 11; A. ii, 20; pectoral 1 in head; ventral 1.2; 

 caudal 1.2; longest dorsal spine 1.5; ray 1.2; longest anal ray 1.5. 



Body short, rather stout, compressed; head short, snout short, but pointed; mouth 

 rather small, little obliiiue, the gape scarcely reaching orbit; teeth in each jaw in a 

 single series; gill-membranes broadly united across the isthmus; eye small, interor- 

 bital space Avide; dorsal outline rising abruptly to above eye, thence gently curved 

 to origin of dorsal iin, and from there nearly straight to base of caudal fin; ventral 

 outline regularly convex. 



Color in alcohol : Light olivaceous, the body crossed by about 9 or 10 dark broad ver- 

 tical bars, which extend upon dorsal fin, these usually broadest above, the pale inter- 

 spaces therefore broadest on lower half of body ; the fourth from last is a narrow^lark 

 line, the one following it is a double si)ot, the next narrow and indistinct, the last, 

 at base of caudal, more distinct, followed by 3 small irregular white|8pots; top of head 

 brown; side of head with line punctulations; a dark lino running forward from eye, 

 a dark spot below eye, 2 or 3 dark blotches on anterior edge of opercle; under sur- 

 face of head crossed by 3 or 4 irregular, indistinct dark lines; caudal and anal with 

 fine dusky punctulations; pectoral and ventrals pale. 



This s})ecie8 is close to M. (jiUl, from Avhich it may be distinguished by the larger 

 dorsal and anal fins, the greater depth, wider interorbital, and the coloration. 



Known only from one specimen, 1.4 inches long, type No. 49370, U. S. N. M., col- 

 lected at Culebra Island, February 11, 1899. 



Named for Dr. H. F. Moore, naturalist on the U. S. Fish Commission steamer 

 Albatross. 



14. Malacoctenus puertoricensis Evermann & Marsh, new species. 



Head 3.4; depth 3.4; eye 4; snout 3.5; maxillary 3.4; mandible 2.6; interorbital 7; 

 preorbital 8; scales 4-44-8. D. xx, 10; A. ii, 19; P. 14; V. 2; C. 13. 



Body short, stout, compressed; head rather long, snout long and pointed; mouth 

 small, little oblique, the maxillary scarcely reaching front of orbit; teeth in a sin- 

 gle row in each jaw; gill-membranes broadly united, free from the isthmus; eyes 

 high up, interorbital narrow; caudal peduncle short, compressed, its least depth 

 about 3 in head. Fins rather large ; origin of dorsal over upper end of gill-opening, 

 first spine slightly shorter than second, which is somewhat longer than the third, 

 whose length is about 2.2 in head; no notch behind third and fourth spines, all the 

 spines from third to fifteenth being about equal in length, the sixteenth and seven- 

 teenth being somewhat shorter, the remaining three progressively longer; soft dor- 

 sal higher, its longest ray about 1.7 in head; longest anal ray 1.7; pectoral broad, 

 1.25 in head, reaching anal ; ventral barely reaching origin of anal ; a pair of slender 

 ocular cirri, a small supraocular one, a short, slender, nasal cirrus and a few very 

 slender ones at the nape; scales large, not crowded anteriorly; lateral line well 

 arched above the pectoral. 



