PREMNAS 19 



Dorsal X, 16 to 18 ; anal II, 14 to 16 ; scales in lateral series 

 66 to 72 ; with tubules 46 to 54 ; between lateral line and origin 

 of dorsal 12 to 14 ; between lateral line and vent 28 to 32. 



Body oblong, 1.9 to 2 in length; head 2.9 to 3; depth of 

 caudal peduncle 4.9 to 5.4. Interorbital space wide, evenly 

 arched, and contained 3.5 to 3.7 in length of head; diameter of 

 the small round eye 4.9 to 5 ; snout, which is about as long as the 

 maxillary, contained 2.8 to 3 in head. Tip of snout rounded, 

 away below the horizontal passing through lower edge of orbit. 

 Mouth slightly oblique, jaws about equal ; posterior end of maxil- 

 lary a little behind vertical through anterior margin of eye; a 

 single row of conical teeth present. Preorbital ending in a 

 strong spine, its greatest width almost equal to the eye's di- 

 ameter; suborbital with a much longer spine; all the opercles 

 serrated. 



A naked area on interorbital space, snout, and chin; outer 

 edges of preopercle, subopercle, and opercle unsealed. Second, 

 third, and fourth dorsal spines highest, each being almost twice 

 in head. Rayed dorsal and anal fins slightly angular; caudal, 

 pectoral, and ventral fins rounded, the last-named two ending 

 at base of anal spines. 



In alcohol the color varies from dull yellow to chocolate brown, 

 with three black-edged, white crossbands, which are wider 

 superiorly; the first band, convex posteriorly, crossing over 

 hind portion of head to subopercle ; the second descending from 

 the last three dorsal spines to origin of anal fin ; the third around 

 caudal peduncle ; the last two bands slightly curved and angularly 

 produced forward along middle part, this process being absent in 

 some examples ; all the bands named vary in length with age. 



The Bureau of Science collection contains seven specimens, 

 35 to 108 millimeters long, from Calapan, Mindoro; Bantayan 

 Island; Inabanga, Bohol; Surigao, Mindanao; and Bungau, 

 Tango, and Sitankai Islands, Sulu Archipelago. The only pre- 

 vious record of this species from the Philippines is that of 

 Giinther. 



In the Bureau of Science aquarium there is a fairly large 

 living specimen, which is deep cherry red, traversed by three 

 brilliant pearl white bands; pectoral is narrowly edged with 

 whitish and has a harrow submarginal band of black; all the 

 other fins are narrowly edged with black. 



Easily recognized by the two strong sharp spines directed pos- 

 teriorly from orbital ring and by the three well-defined, milk 

 white, vertical bands. 



