SNODGRASS AND HELLER 



37. MYRIPRISTIS CLARIONENSIS Gilbert. 



Myripristis clarionensis GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1896, 441, pi. 69, 

 Clarion Island. JORDAN & EVERMANN, Fishes North and Mid. Amer., 

 in, Addenda, 2842, 1898. JORDAN & MCGREGOR, Rep. U. S. Fish 

 Comm. 1898 (1899), 275 (Clarion Island, Socorro Island). 



Range. Clarion and Socorro islands, Revillagigedo Archipelago. 



38. MYRIPRISTIS MURDJAN (Forskal). 



Sciana murdjan FORSK.AL, Desc. Anim., 48, 1775, Red Sea. 



Myripristis murdjan, RUPPELL, Atlas Nordl. Afr., 86, pi. 23, fig. 2 ; Gunther, 

 Fische der Sudsee, n, 92, pi. 61, 1873-75. DAY, Fishes of India, 170, 

 1878-88, Supplement, 788, pi. 41, fig. 2. JENKINS, Bull. U. S. Fish 

 Comm. for 1902 (1903), 440 (Hawaiian Islands). 



Range. East coast of Africa ; Red Sea ; India ; Malay Archi- 

 pelago ; Polynesia; Hawaiian Islands; Cocos Island; Galapagos 

 Islands. 



We have numerous large specimens taken at Cocos Island, and one 

 specimen taken at Duncan Island of the Galapagos Archipelago, the 

 only record of the species from the Western Pacific. 



The descriptions of the species vary somewhat in regard to the 

 coloration of the fins, and the development of the external teeth of the 

 anterior end of the mandible and of the angles of the premaxillaries. 

 Since the species is not elsewhere described in American literature we 

 give the following description based on Cocos specimens : 



Description of a typical specimen. Length 350 mm. Dorsal 

 profile ascending from snout to nape at an angle of about 45, here 

 slightly angulated, running backward at greater inclination to front of 

 spinous dorsal ; from here to front of soft dorsal almost horizontal, 

 then somewhat abruptly curved downward to caudal peduncle ; both 

 dorsal and ventral outlines of peduncle concave ; ventral profile with 

 about same amount of convexity as dorsal, but more evenly curved 

 the belly being less angulated than the back ; mouth very oblique ; 

 snout transversely truncate, so that the upper jaw presents a wide, 

 straight, anterior margin, causing each premaxillary to present laterally 

 a prominent angle where the transverse and longitudinal parts meet ; 

 upper jaw considerably exceeded by tip of lower projecting part 2 in 

 length of snout, 4 in horizontal diameter of eye (varying much in 

 different specimens) ; maxillary reaching vertical from posterior 

 border of eye; supplemental maxillary large and projecting a little 

 beyond the posterior end of the maxillary ; angle of opercle with a 

 short blunt spine; preopercle notched just above angle, interopercle 

 notched near lower end; opercle, preopercle, subopercle, interopercle 



