g0 PHILIPPINE POMACENTBID^J 



from 2.9 to 3.3 in head, larger in younger specimens, propor- 

 tionately, than in older ones ; interorbital space strongly convex, 

 3.2 to 3.7 in head ; snout 3.1 to 4, with its tip on a level with lower 

 margin of orbit; mouth small, maxillary ending posteriorly be- 

 low front edge of eye and contained 3 to 3.5 in head. Teeth 

 in a double series, with the tips rounded; orbital ring with 

 the anteriormost serration enlarged and separated from the 

 rest by a notch ; width of preorbital at angle of mouth narrow, 

 being slightly less than half an eye diameter; preopercle with 

 distinct serrations behind. 



The narrow area between tip of snout and nostrils naked; 

 orbital ring and vertical limb of preopercle also unsealed. Dor- 

 sal spines gradually increasing in height posteriorly, the last 

 one being higher than the second anal spine. The soft vertical 

 fins slightly rounded; caudal slighly emarginate; pectoral ex- 

 tending to above anus; ventrals reaching origin of anal fin. 



Yellowish green to yellowish brown in alcohol ; caudal yellow- 

 ish toward base, this yellow area not abruptly set off from the 

 ground color; head with some bluish longitudinal lines along 

 forehead; upper parts of body and sides of head with spots of 

 similar color. There is a black spot above opercle and a light 

 center on most of the scales of body. With the exception of 

 the opercular spot, the above color markings become indistinct 

 with age. The lines on head are continued in the form of spots 

 toward the dark blue-edged ocellus along the dorsal fin. In the 

 very young this ocellus is merely a large irregular dark blotch 

 surrounded by numerous, more or less connected, bluish white 

 spots, and covers a large portion of the rayed dorsal. In older 

 specimens the ocellus is smaller and more regular in form, with 

 a distinct ring around it. In some examples the ocellus is on the 

 middle rays, in others it is slightly more anterior or posterior. 

 There is a black spot superiorly at base of pectoral but none on 

 top of caudal peduncle. Some examples have one or more light 

 longitudinal lines along anal fin. 



I have examined in the Bureau of Science collection over a 

 hundred specimens, 22 to 69 millimeters long, coming from the 

 following localities: Hundred Islands, Pangasinan; Limbones 

 Cove, Batangas; Puerto Galera, Mindoro; Bacon, Sorsogon; 

 Guinobatan, Masbate; Borongan, Samar; Estancia, Panay; Ban- 

 tayan Island and Cebu, Cebu; Cabalian, Leyte; Tagbilaran, Bo- 

 hol ; Canigaran, Puerto Princesa, and Balabac Island, Palawan ; 

 and Siasi and Sitankai Islands, Sulu Archipelago. Two speci- 

 mens from Balabac Island, measuring 46 and 49 millimeters 



