DASCYLLUS 25 



Body very deep and much compressed, nearly orbicular in 

 outline; the deepest portion of body at anterior dorsal spines, 

 1.5 to 1.6 in length; head 3 to 3.3; depth of caudal peduncle 

 5.4 to 6.1. The steep, evenly convex interorbital 2.4 to 2.9 in 

 length of head; the large, circular eye 2.3 to 3.1; the short, 

 blunt snout 2.8 to 3.4, and nearly as long as or shorter than 

 maxillary, which is contained 2.8 to 3.1 in head. Cleft of mouth 

 almost vertical, jaws even, the maxillary ending posteriorly 

 below or a little before front margin of eye; teeth subequal, 

 the outer ones large, conical, and slightly curved. Orbital ring 

 finely denticulated, its width at posterior end of maxillary less 

 than half an eye diameter; inferior and posterior margins of 

 preopercle serrated; opercle armed behind with a flat, blunt 

 spine, below which are some fine teeth. 



Head and body everywhere covered with closely set ctenoid 

 scales; rayed dorsal and anal with a moderately high sheath 

 of scales at base. Dorsal spines strong, decreasing gradually 

 in height from the second to the last. Vertical fins about equal 

 in height; caudal emarginate, with two prominent and free 

 spines on each margin of base; pectoral falcate, about as long 

 as head and extending to anus; ventral slightly longer than 

 pectoral, its tip at base of anal spines. 



Ground color in spirits dark violet brown with a dark border 

 to each scale, and a blackish band passing from in front of and 

 at base of the first three spines toward the ventrals, this band be- 

 coming less distinct in older specimens ; another blackish cross- 

 band may be present between the rayed vertical fins. Front of 

 eyes, lips, and chin black; caudal darker on upper and lower 

 margins; spinous dorsal, anal, and ventrals black. 



There are in the Bureau of Science collection thirty-five speci- 

 mens, measuring from 19 to 85 millimeters long, which form 

 the basis of this description. They were obtained at Puerto 

 Galera and Calapan, Mindoro; Cabalian, Leyte; Cagayan de 

 Misamis and Zamboanga, Mindanao; and Tambagaan, Bungau, 

 and Sitankai Islands, Sulu Archipelago. Included among them 

 are five ripe females, 25 to 62 millimeters long, taken at Calapan, 

 Cabalian, and Cagayan de Misamis, in January, May, and Sep- 

 tember, respectively, thus indicating that they breed throughout 

 the year. 



Three living specimens in the Bureau of Science aquarium are 

 purplish brown, with a silvery luster on the center of each scale ; 

 a blackish transverse bar behind head and a second one, rather 



