238 



BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



This large species is very common about the Samoan Islands, as also about Hawaii. We have about 

 40 specimens from Apia and Pago Pago. The dark spot at base of caudal above is usually distinct, 

 though varying much in degree of definition. There is a more or less evident lateral shade, but never 

 sharply defined. 



Life colors of a specimen from Apia, brownish red; sides washed with clear light green, the edges 

 of scales brownish red; a diffuse black bar at base of caudal, forming a pretty distinct rounded spot 

 above lateral line and extending backward on edges of both caudal lobes; a faint dark shade from 

 snout across eye, with a darker blotch on opercle and a rounded spot behind eye; a dusky shade on 

 s5JeWom,eye to tail on larger specimens; axil dull reddish brown; fins all dull reddish brown; first 

 qhsal black on anterior spines; second dorsal and ventral dusky shaded. 



'5 



477. Amia frenata (Valenciennes). New Guinea; Guam. 



Apogon fremitus Valenciennes, Nouv. Ann. Hist. Nat., I, 57, 1832, with plate, New Guinea, Guam. 

 This species we have failed to recognize. It is close to our Amia exostigma, differing in the 

 narrower lateral band, and in the more diffuse caudal spot, which is at the end of the lateral band. 

 It is more remote from Amia snyderi, which has the lateral stripe fainter, broader, and more diffuse. - 



478. Amia exostig-ma Jordan & Starks, new species. Samoa. 

 Head 2.75 in length; depth 3.3; eye 3 in head; interorbital width 5; snout 3.75; maxillary 2.25; 



laudal peduncle 2.67; dorsal vii-i, 9; anal u, 9; scales 2-25-5.5. 



if 

 \ 



* 3B8Bfffe fete it ;,' W8 



Fig. 31. — Amia exostigma Jordan & Starks, new species. Type. 



Body slender; upper anterior profile a slight, even, unbroken curve from tip of snout to first dorsal 

 spine; snout blunt, and projecting very slightly beyond the maxillary; maxillary extending to below 

 middle, of eye, its anterior end projecting a very little beyond tip of lower jaw; teeth in moderately 

 wide bands on jaws, in a narrower V-shaped patch on vomer; rather large spines on both posterior 

 edges of preopercle, those near the angle larger, all of them directed backward; gillrakers rather 

 slender, the longest one-thiid the diameter of the eye, 4+14 in number, about 4 of which are repre- 

 sented by tubercles on the anterior end of the lower limb. 



Scales everywhere ctenoid, the marginal denticulations fine and close-set, preceded by many short 

 spinules regularly placed, forming a moderately wide band around the posterior border of each scale. 

 Third dorsal spine longest, its length equal to distance between tip of snout and posterior margin of 

 pupil; when fin is depressed its tip reaches a little past front of soft dorsal; first spine very short, 5 in 

 eye; the second spine midway between these two spines in length; second dorsal with a long spine 

 equal in length to the second dorsal base; second dorsal ray the longer, equal to length of head 

 anterior to anterior preopercle margin; second anal spine a little longer than diameter of eye; anal 

 placed a little posterior to soft dorsal; ventrals scarcely reaching to front of anal; pectoral reaching to 

 above base of second anal spine. 



Color in life of a specimen from Pago Pago, light olive; jet black band from snout through eye, 

 fading behind; just above this stripe at base of caudal a round, jet black spot as large as pupil; fins 



