DASCYLLUS 23 



It has been recorded previously in the Philippines by Meyer 

 from Cebu; by Jordan and Scale from Cavite; by Weber from 

 Sanguisiapo, Sulu Archipelago; and by Fowler and Bean from 

 Zamboanga. 



A widely distributed species, ranging from the east coast of 

 Africa through the seas of India, China, and the Indo-Malayan 

 Archipelago to Polynesia and New Zealand. Day observes that 

 it is numerous at the Andamans, Nicobars, and Burma, but 

 much rarer in western than in eastern India. 



DASCYLLUS TRIMACULATUS (Ruppell) 



PLATE 5, FIG. 2 



Pomacentrus trimaculatus RUPPELL, Fische des Rothen Meers (1828) 



39, pi. 8, fig. 3. 

 Dascyllus trimaculatus CUVIER and VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. 



5 (1830) 330; GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes 4 (1862) 13; Fische der Siidsee 



2 (1876) 236; JORDAN and SEALE, Bull. U. S. Bur. Fisheries 25 



(1906) 290; 26 (1907) 27 

 Tetradrachmum trimaadatum BLEEKER, Atlas Ichth. 9 (1878) pi. 409, 



fig. 6; DAY, Fishes of India, Suppl. (1888) 801. 



Dorsal XII, 13 to 16 ; anal II, 13 or 14 ; scales in lateral series 

 26; with tubules 18 to 20; between lateral line and origin of 

 dorsal 4; between lateral line and vent 11. 



Body very deep and much compressed, subcircular in form, 

 dorsal profile a little more elevated than the ventral; deepest 

 portion of body below anterior dorsal spines, 1.5 to 1.7 in length; 

 head shorter than deep, 3.1 to 3.3; depth of caudal peduncle 5.3 

 to 6. Interorbital space strongly convex and steep, its width 

 2.5 to 3 in length of head ; eye large and rounded, contained 2.5 

 to 3; the blunt snout 3.1 to 3.5 or slightly shorter than maxil- 

 lary, which is contained 2.8 to 3.3 in head. Mouth very oblique, 

 jaws equal, the maxillary ending posteriorly below front border 

 of orbit; the conical teeth in a villiform band. Width of pre- 

 orbital at angle of mouth a trifle greater than half the diameter 

 of eye; the narrow orbital ring minutely serrated, as is the 

 preopercle; posterior edge of opercle armed with a flat spine 

 above and minute teeth below. 



Head and body entirely covered with scales; base of vertical 

 fins with a rather high sheath of scales. The strong dorsal 

 spines decreasing in height posteriorly from the third. Soft dor- 

 sal angular and rayed anal rounded; caudal emarginate, with 

 rounded lobes and two prominent free spines on each margin 

 at base ; pectoral ending above anus ; ventral extending to base 

 of anal spines. 



