336 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



Platax gaimardi Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., VII, 216, 1831, New Guinea. 

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

 Platax xanthopus Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen., xxm, 28, 1850, Sumatra. 



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

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



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



Family CH£T0D0NTID£. 



FORCIPIGER Jordan & McGregor. 



Forcipiger 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 Chelmon, is very long and slender, bearing the short, 



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



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



1128. Forcipiger longirostris (Broussonet). Haw r aii; Samoa; Tahiti; Paumotu Is.; Kingsmill I.; 



Tonga; Raiatea(Seale); Eastlndies; Clarionls. (as Forcipiger favissimus Jordan & McGregor ) . 



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

 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 

 print 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 wdiite below; ventral and pectoral yellow; caudal colorless; a large jet black 

 spot on anal. 



MEGAPR0T0D0N Guichenot. 



Megaprotodon Guichenot, Rev. Zool., 1848, 12 (bifascialis). 



Eteira Kaup, Arch. Nat., xxvi, 1860, 147 {triangularis). 

 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 Gonochirtodon is near Megaprolodon, but it has 

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



1129. Meg-aprotodon trifascialis (Quoy & Gaimard). Mutu idi. Samoa; Guam; Tahiti; East 



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



Chsetodon trifascialis Quoy & Gaimard, V05'. Uranie, 11, 379, pi. 62, fig. 5, 1824, Guam, Batu. Young with the caudal 



pale instead of "black as in the adult. 

 Chxtodon triangularis Rtippell, Atlas, 12, pi. 9, fig. 3, 1S28, Red Sea. 

 Megaprotodon triangularis, Seale, Bishop Museum 1901, 101, Guam. 

 Chsslodon strigangulus Solander, in Cuvier <fc Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vn, 42, 1831, Tahiti. Giinther, Fisehe 



der Siidsee, 35, pi. 26, fig. a, Polynesia. 

 Megaprotodon strigangulus, Bleeker, Atlas, Chtet., 54, tab. xin, fig. 4, Java, Batu, Celebes, Halmahera, Cerem 



Banda, Amboina, Timor, Obi-major. 

 Chxtodon bifascialis Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vn, 4S, 1831, Guam. 

 Chxiodon leachi Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vn, 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 strigangulus. 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 tow : ard the head; ocular band broad, edged with white 



