250 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



APOGONICHTHYS Bleeker. Fii. 

 Fowlrria Jordan i>i Kvermaiiii, Bull. U. 8. Fish Coiiini., xxii, 1902 (Apr. 11, 190;i), 180 (nnrUusK 

 This genus is based on a species, Apugou nur'dm Cuvier & Valenciennes, which we have not seen. 

 It is, however, very closely related to three Samoan species, with which it is doubtless congeneric. 

 These species differ from the group called Foa in havinir no teeth on the palatine.*. In all of them tlien- 

 is a large black ocellus on the opercle, an<l tlic hitrral line, althoufrli interrupted, shows rudinientaiy 

 pores on the caudal peduncle, 

 a. Opercle with a large ocellated black spot. 



b. Body mottled with dusky; fins all closely chequiTed; lower side of head chequered varicgatujs 



bb. Body deep red in life, with many pale cross-bands; fins faintly mottled; caudal blackish at tip viarmoratnit 



hhh. Body brown; a distinct black spot at base of many scales, forming lines; fins plain isoeticima 



511. Apog'oniclitliys variegatus (Valenciennes). Samoa; Tahiti; Yap; He de France. 



'Aiiaiiiin aiinlus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vn, 443, 1831, He de France; color plain, tins plain, nn 



opercular spot. 

 Apogon I'ariega^MS Valenciennes, Ann.Sci. Nat., 1,1832, 55, lie de France; body and fins mottled: an opercular spot. 

 Apogon auritus, Gunther, Fische der Sudsee, 23, Tahiti, Yap. Day, FishesoIIndia. Streets, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 VII, 1877, 100, Samoa. Sauvage, Fish. Madagascar, 141, not plate. 

 This species is common on the reefs about Samoa. We have ten examples from Apia and twenty 

 from Pago Pago. It is well figured by Day as Apor/on auritus, but the original auritus is said to have 

 the fins plain. There is a black opercular spot, and the body and fins are everywhere closely mottled 

 with light and blackish. The vertical fins especially are finely marked, the pattern suggesting that of 

 the fin.s of some gobies. 



This species may be tlie original Apor/ou auritus, but it can not be identified as that without 

 comparison with the original type. Apogon punctuhdus of Riippell and A. polystigma of Bleeker may 

 be the true aunVus. At any rate, the figures diverge widely from our fish. The description of .1. 

 aaritns of Sauvage approaches it, but his figure looks much like Foa hracliy gramma. 



Life colors of a specimen from Apia, body everywhere much mottled, blackish, and gray; all the 

 fins save the ventrals elaborately spotted and barred; jaws barred and mottled; a black ocellus on the 

 opercle. 



Another specimen from Apia was dirty olive-brown; opercle with a black pale-edged ocellus, very 

 large and conspicuous, fins all much like the bodv, brown and mottled, caudal rounded. 



512. Apogonichtliys marmoratus (Alleyne & JNIacleay). Fo unmiu (red). Samoa; North 

 .\ustialia. 

 Apugonichthijs marmoratus Alleyne & Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W., 1876, 2ii.s, pi. v, lis.'. 'J, Cape Grenville 

 (North Australia). 

 Of this species, distinguished by its clear red color, black ojjercular spot, and the Ijody covered 

 with pale crossbands, we have three specimens from Pago P;igo, and ten from Apia. It is well sepa- 

 rated from Apogonichthys variegatus. The little figure given bx- .\lle.\ne and Macleay is characteristic. 



