336 BULLETIN OK THE BUREAU OF FISHERIl'S. 



Platai gaimardi Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vii, 216. 1831, New Guinea. 

 Platax borei Bleeker, Derde Bijdr. Celebes, 758, 1852, Celebes. 

 Platax xanihopue Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen., xxiii, 28, 1850, Sumatra. 

 This species, known by the smaller scales, is common in the East Indies and northward to soutli- 

 ern Japan. It is recorded by Giinther from the Palau Islands. 



1127. Platax piunatus Bleeker. New Guinea (Macleay). 



Family CH^TODONTID/E. 



FOKCIFIGEB Jordan & McGregor. 

 Forcipif/er Jordan & McGregor in Jordan & Evermann, Bull. 47 U. S. Nat. Mus., 1898, 1671 

 ( longiroslris) . 

 This genus differs from Chelmon Cuvier in the long and high spinous dorsal, which is composed of 

 12 stout spines (9 in Chelmon). The snout, as in Clidmoti, is very long and slender, bearing the short, 

 forcep-like jaws at the end. From Prognaihodes, a genus still more closely related. Forcipiger differs 

 in the small scales, there being about 75 in a horizontal series. 



1128. Forcipiger longirostris (Broussonet). Hawaii; Samoa; Tahiti; Paumotu Is.; Kingsmill I.; 



Tonga; Raiatea (Seale); East Indies; Clarion Is. (as Forcipiger flainssimus J ord&n&McGregor \. 



This curious and brightly colored fish ranges widely through the South Seas and eastward to thf 

 off-shore islands of Mexico. It seems to be nowhere common, and but one specimen was found by us 

 at Pago Pago. A few specimens were taken also at Honolulu. 



Color in life bright yellow, from a line connecting front of dorsal with axil of pectoral and a 

 pjint behind ventrals; scales of side shaded with orange; top of snout to nape and opercular region 

 jet black; lower parts of head and breast abruptly black; dorsal, anal, ventral, and pectoral yellow; a 

 large black spot on last rays of anal; caudal grayish. 



A specimen from Pago Pago was in life brilliant yellow, deeper and orange-shaded behind, a black 

 triangle on head, livid white below ; ventral and pectoral yellow; caudal colorless; a large jet black 

 spot on anal. 



MEGAPBOTODON Guichenot. 



Megaprotodon (Tuichenot, Rev. Zool., 1848, 12 (hij'a>!riidis). 



Eteira Kaup, Arch. Nat., .\xvi, 1860, 147 (tnauguUtris). 

 This genus is characterized by the constant presence of four anal spines. It is close to the group 

 called Linophora in Chietodon, having the series of scales meeting at right angles. The body is oblong 

 and compressed, the soft dorsal and anal produced and concave on the margin. Outer teeth of lower 

 jaw a little longer than inner. The genus or subgenus Gonochatodon is near Megaprotodon, but it has 

 the body almost as deep as long, as in Coradion. 



1129. Meg'aprotodon trifascialis (Quoy & Gaimard). Mulu vli. Samoa; Guam; Tahiti; East 



Indies. (PI. L, fig. 1.) 

 Ch:il'''U.ii iriui.<i:iali.< (jn,.y A: Caimiirfl, Vciy. Uranie, H, 379, pi. 02, fig. b, 1S2J, Guam, Batu. Young irith the caudal 



01.''" [I, 9, fig. 3, 1828, Red Sea. 



.¥,,,.■, ' ' -' I. ii Museum 1901, 101, Guam. 



f/,;./- .' , ' , ■ '. -..;.:il.i II, ■ i\ I. r >ti Valencienne.s, Hist. Xnt. Poiss., VII, 42, 18,S1, Tahiti. Giinther. Fische 



dor SiidsL'c, 3.5, pi. 20, fig. A. Pul.vnesia. 

 Mef]aproiodon slriganguhis, Bleeker, Atlas, Cha;t.. .54, tab. .xiii. fig. 4, .Java, Batu. Celebes. Halmahera, Cerem 



Banda, Amboina, Timor, Obi-major. 

 ChH-todon hiOm-ialif Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss.. vii. 48, 1831. Guam. 

 Chutodon kaehi Cuvier &. Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vii, 49, 1831, no locality. 

 This species, generally common throughout the East Indies, is abundant about the coral reefs of 

 Samoa. The young closely resemble the adult in form and general color, but differ in the markings 

 posteriorly. A broad dark band includes the soft dorsal and anal. This grows narrower with age, and 

 finally vanishes. In the young the caudal is yellow with a narrow dark- cross-band. In the adult it 

 is black, with a narrow pale band near its tip. The nominal species trifascialis is the young of the 

 one called triangularis or striganguhis. The name trifascialis has priority. 



Fifteen specimens, from Apia and Pago Pago. One from Apia was in life gray, white below, 

 V-shaped stripes, bright grayish blue, the angle toward the head; ocular band broad, edged with white 



