VAIMOSA 143 



laterally, its length 2.85 to 3.16 in males, 3.1 to 3.3 in females; 

 the head deeper than broad, the depth f to 0.75 of its length; 

 the short, convex, bluntly rounded snout 3.25 to 4.1 times in head 

 in males, 4.2 to 5 times in females ; the eyes lateral, high up, the 

 upper rim flush with profile, 4 to 4.8 times in head, the post- 

 orbital part of head always more than the distance from tip of 

 snout -to posterior margin of eye; the interorbital from 0.5 to 

 0.8 an eye diameter ; the oblique mouth terminal, the jaws equal ; 

 in males the mouth very large, the posterior angle of maxillary 

 extending to posterior margin of eye or more often much far- 

 ther, upon preopercle; in females the mouth much smaller, the 

 maxillary extending usually to a point just back of anterior 

 margin of eye, rarely to middle of eye ; the outer teeth of upper 

 jaw slender, curved, enlarged, in a short row, followed by three 

 rows of minute teeth; in lower jaw about four rows of very 

 small slender teeth at forward end, reduced in number laterally, 

 the inner row much enlarged posteriorly, the others disappear- 

 ing ; the body covered with large ctenoid scales, slightly reduced 

 in size and becoming cycloid above opercles, extending forward 

 of dorsal to eyes, the anterior scales in the midline behind eyes 

 enlarged; the opercles covered with large cycloid scales, the 

 preopercles naked; the pectoral bases and breast scaled; the 

 dorsals well separated, the height of the spinous dorsal 2 to 2.5 

 times in head, in some specimens reaching second dorsal when 

 depressed, in others not, the middle rays longest; the second 

 dorsal and anal of similar shape,, of equal height or anal a little 

 the lower, the fifth and sixth rays usually longest; in males 

 the second dorsal 1.5 to 1.8 times in head, the anal 1.6 to 2 times; 

 in females the dorsal and anal usually equal, 1.8 times in head, 

 the ventrals thin, broad, about equal to anal in length, never 

 reaching anus; the pectoral thin, pointed, 1.2 to 1.4 times in 

 head, scarcely reaching to a point above anus; the depth of 

 caudal peduncle 1.8 to 1.95 in its own length in males, 2.1 to 2.2 

 in females; the tip of caudal gently rounded, its length 1.1 to 

 1.3 in that of head; the anal papilla very small, inconspicuous, 

 thin, flat, triangular in males, thick and rounded in females. 



The color in alcohol varies from dark brown or blackish to 

 pale yellowish, with a black or dark brown spot on shoulder, 

 followed by a row of eight or ten closely spaced, more or less 

 poorly defined, dark spots which continue back to base of caudal ; 

 in males the sides and underpart of head strewn with white 

 spots or small irregular lines and bars; in females they show 

 indistinctly or are absent ; the top of snout and interorbital dark 



