THE FISHES OF SAMOA. 365 



1269. Amanses scopas (Cuvier). Sinilui. Samoa; New Guinea (Macleay); East Indies. 



Of this singular species we have four fine examples from Apia, the first recorded from Polynesia. 

 Life colors of a specimen called sisilui, dark brown, a little paler below, a little darker on head and 

 tail; dorsal anal and pectoral colorless, the rays olive, with some bluish on membranes, caudal black; 

 spines of side black at base. 



Fig. 68. — Amanses scopas (Cuvier). 

 OXYMONACANTHTJS Bleeker. 



This genus is near Cantherines, from which it differs in the elongate form and very long, sharp 

 snout. Unlike the other filefishes, the single species of this genus is gaudily colored. 



1270. Oxymonacanthus long-irostris (Bloch & Schneider). Aleva. Samoa; Guam; Fiji; New- 



Caledonia; East Indies. (PI. l, fig. 2.) 

 Of this fantastic little fish we have about 15 specimens, none over 3 inches long, from the reefs 

 of Apia and Pago Pago. Life colors of one from Apia, sky blue with rows of bright orange spots; ven- 

 tral flap orange; a brown area above it with fine white dots; fins pale; dorsal and anal reddish, the 

 caudal yellowish brown with two faint broad cross shades; breast light green. 



CKETODEKMIS Bleeker. 



1271. Cheetodermis penicillig'erus (Cuvier). New Guinea; East Indies; Australia. 



MONACANTHUS Cuvier. 



This genus is characterized by the movable ventral spine. In most of the species the ventral flap 

 is moderate, and the dorsal spine serrated. These belong to the subgenus Steplianolepis, which differs 

 from Monacanthus only in the reduction of the ventral flap, a character of slight importance. 



1272. Monacanthus chinensis (Bloch). New Guinea (Macleay); East Indies; China. 



1273. Monacanthus melanocephalus Bleeker. Pa'u-mea; Muloasi. Samoa; New Guinea I Mac- 



leay); East Indies. 

 Monacanthus melanocephalus Bleeker, Nat. Tijds. Ned. Ind., v, 95, East Indies. Bleeker, Atlas, v, 127, tab. ccxxm, 



fig. 1, East Indies. Giinther, Cat., VIII, 24'2; from Bleeker's type. 

 Monacanthus janthmosoma Bleeker, Nat. Tijds. Ned. Ind., VI, 503. East Indies. 

 Monacanthus aspricaudus Hollard, Ann. Sci. Nat. 1851, n, 530, Batavia. 



Of this well-marked species we obtained about a dozen specimens from Apia and one from Paao 

 Pago, the first record in Polynesia. It reaches a small size, and is known at once by the checkered 



