220 BULLETIN OF THp; BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



Family HOiOCE.\TKII).+:. 

 MYKIPRISTIS Cuvier. Mnlan. 



351. Myripristismurdjan(Fi>rskal ). Maiiljiniji. Hawaii; Samoa; Harvey Is.: Tahiti; Fiji; I'aiiiiMitu 



Ls. ; (xuaui; Laysan; Xew Hebrides, Kaiatea, and Karototiga (Seale); East Indies. 

 Tliis species is common throughout the South Seas. It is the most abundant of the genus alp'iii 

 Hawaii, and is fairly plentiful at Samoa. It is distifiguished by itf- large scales (30), by the pres^cnr. 

 of wliite edges on the soft vertical flns and the absence of black tips on dorsal and anal. Tlicic i- 

 always a dark bar across the gill-opening. 



352. Myripristis intermedius (Gimther). Malav. Samoa; Kingsmill; Harvey Is.; Tahiti; (■aki 



pages Is. 

 Muriprhlis luurdjan, yar. intermedia Gunther, Fische der Siid-suu. '.ti, Samoa, Harvey, Kingsmill, Tahiti. 



This form is common at Samoa, where about 20 examples were taken. It differs from .1/. iKunlj'n, 

 chiefly or entirely in the presence of a black blotch on the tip of the soft dorsal and anal. Dr. GiinI In i 

 regards it as a mere color variation of .V. murdjan. We should take a similar view were it not for il- 

 tact noted by Dr. Klunzinger, that in the Red Sea, and in Hawaii, where M. viiirdjaii is abundant, n- 

 specimens of this type have been taken. 



A specimen from the Galapagos Islands, collected by Snodgrass and Heller and recorded as 

 U. murdjan, has black tips to the dorsal and anal, and would be referable to .1/. Iiilniiicdiu.i. 



Color deep red, dusky on dorsal and anal, tins all bright red, pale-edged in front. 



353. Myripristis adustus Bleeker. ihdau vo. Samoa; Tahiti; Paumotuls.; Harvey Is.; Kiii;;>- 



null; New Guinea; Marcus I.; Shortland I. (Seale); East Indies. 

 Myripristis adustus Bleeker, Amboina, ni, 18. East Indies. Giinther. Cat., i, 22. .\mboina. tiiiniher, Fischi- d. r 

 Sudsee, 92, tat. 02, Tahiti, as variety of M. murdjan, Samoa, Paumotu, Harvey I., Kingsmill I. Bryan ,^ 

 Hcrre, Bishop Museum, vol. ii, no. 1, 128. Marcus I. 

 Mi/ripristis boMie, Day, Fishes of India, ir>9; not of Cuvier & Valenciennes. 

 Tliis well-marked and handsome species is rather common about Samoa, where iiliont ll' sj)eci- 

 mens were taken. It may be at once known from M. murdjan by the steel blue (not icd ) color, and 

 especially by the broad black edging of both dorsals, and of the caudal and anal tins. In M. inter- 

 medias there is no black on the spinous dorsal or caudal. 



Life colors of a specimen from Apia, gray tinged with reddish; edge of i-cales brown; a dark- 

 brown blotch across opercle and axil; doi>al, anal and caudal pale pinkish gray at base, the edge 



broadly black, washed anteitorly with lil 1-rcd; spinous clorsal also luostly black; pectoral pale 



pinkish; ventral whitish. 



354. Myripristis microplithalmus Bleeker. Malau lea; Malaxi matapulft. Samoa; New Guinea 



(Macleay); Fate, New Hebrides (Seale); East Indies. 



This species is very abundant at Samoa, where about 40 specimens were taken. It has the silvery 

 luster and dark .scale-edgings of Myripri.ftin inhislns without the deep red shades of ,V. murdjati. Life 

 colors were noted in various specimens as follows: 



( 1 1 S|>ecimen from .\pia. Silvery red brown, lighter than in 31. murdjati, each scale silvery with 

 dark cdL'i-; o|icrrnlar spot lil.iod i-,d, not liUick; samecoloron base of pectoral; fins paler; dorsal and 

 anal witli sil\.ry lia^-; .loisal. anal, camlul, and ventral with pale edge; spinous dorsal orange red, its 



(2) Specimen from Pago Pago, very deep, scales 30, maxillary entire. Brownish, sides pintish 

 silvery, not very red; a blackish red cross-band on opercle, shoulder, and axil; first dorsal whitish at 

 base, scarlet above; second dorsal, afial, and caudal pink, scarlet or orange at tips, and with a dirtinct 

 white edge; pectoral pale; ventral dull orange, whitish-edged. 



(3) Specimen called ?na7au )»o/«;jH(fi,orswelled-tace; very deep; very large-scaled. Purplish black 

 above, very silvery on side; a blood-red band from nape to axil; preopercle and opercle nearly white; 

 spinous donsal pinkish below, scarlet above; soft dor.sal and anal pinkish behind, .scarlet on lobes, with 

 white edge; cauilal red, orange behind, the edges slightly pale; \-entral and pectoral reddish, ventral 

 white-edged. 



Larger examples more red, with d\isky behind pale edges of dorsal and anal; tins all bright red 

 except white edgings. 



(4) Red, dusky on dorsal and anal; tins all bright red. pale-edged in front. 



(5) Larger specimen. Dorsal clear <lrci> red. 



