NEW FISHES 209 



half of head. Gill-rakers free, short, length at angle one third the eye. 



Lateral line beginning at humeral spine and extending horizontally 

 to the tail ; pores twenty-four. Scales small, finely ctenoid \ cov- 

 ering the body, snout posteriorly, the occiput, cheeks, opercles and 

 maxillary ; fin membranes, tip of snout, interorbital, premaxillary and 

 lower jaw naked. 



Spinous dorsal high, third spine highest, equaling one half head ; 

 eleventh spine much shorter than the twelfth ; first spine shorter still. 

 Soft dorsal lower, rounded, height three and one fourth in head. 

 Anal fin high, second spine much larger and heavier than third, its 

 height slightly less than one half the head. Soft anal higher than 

 the spinous, rays more or less free at tip. Ventrals long and pointed, 

 extending to first anal spine. Pectorals broad and fan-shaped, median 

 rays longest, reaching third anal spine. 



Coloration in Life. Above bright red, the belly lighter, pinkish, 

 dorsum and head above the level of the preopercular spine spotted or 

 indistinctly streaked with dark olive-brown, spotted heaviest about the 

 base of the dorsal fin ; sides below the dorsal fin streaked obliquely 

 with olive-brown ; fins, spines and rays red, the membranes whitish, 

 yellowish in the dorsal ; the soft dorsal and caudal fins spotted with 

 olive-brown; upper half of pectorals olive spotted; the soft anal 

 with a dusky central streak. 



In general form and coloration this species approaches P. sierra 

 Gilbert, from the Gulf of California, but differs in the scaled maxil- 

 lary, the higher and differently proportioned spinous dorsal and in the 

 greater number and streaked character of the dark markings. 



The type was taken from the stomach, of a shark (Carcharhinus 

 platyrkynckus) near Wenman Island. 



MEASUREMENTS OF THE TYPE OF PontinUS StrigdtllS. 



