THE FISHES OF SAMOA. 421 



Body elongate, compressed; the anterior profile of head rounded, the mouth slightly produced 

 beyond the forehead; angle of mouth under anterior margin of eye; mouth rather small with a single 

 row of teeth in jaws and a pair of curved fang-like canines in under jaw; gill-openings rather narrow, 

 2.2 in head; dorsal fin not incised, extending to base of caudal, the membrane of the fin united to rays 

 of the caudal; origin of anal under first dorsal ray, nearer tip of snout than base of caudal, its distal 

 end extending to caudal fin, where its membrane is slightly united to caudal; longest anal ray 1.75 in 

 head; pectoral 1.2 in head; ventral 1.3 in head, the origin anterior to origin of pectoral; caudal 

 rounded, 1.5 in head. 



^/'■'. * ' • ^""" 



m 





^ 



'A in.. 



Fig. 102. — Hypleurocheilus vaillanti Jordan & Seale, new species. Type. 



Life colors, anterior part fuliginous; posterior third greenish with mottling of fine black points; 

 top of head covered with small round black dots; 1 or 2 similar dots on base of pectoral; dorsal and 

 anal plain brown, darker than body; caudal pale olive-green. 



Color in spirits, yellowish white shaded everywhere with minute dusky dots like pin pricks, a 

 few larger dots on top and sides of head; 2 distinct black dots on base of pectoral fins; fins colored 

 like body, the dorsal and anal being a shade darker. 



One specimen, length 0.56 inch, type no. 51788, U'. S. National Museum, from Pago Pago, Samoa. 



1585. Hypleurochilus periophthalmoides (Macleay ). New Guinea. 



Blennius periophthalmoides Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. 1883, 269. (Apparently a Hypleurochilus; teeth not 

 described. ) 



ALTICT/S (Commerson) Lacepede. Mano'o. 



Alticus (Commerson MS.) Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., n, 458, 1800 (saltatorius=saliem). 



Alticus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xi, 337, 1836 (alticus). 



Erpichlhys Swainson, Class. Anim., II, 275, 1839 (atlanticus) . 



Rupiscarles Swainson, Class. Anim., n, 275, 1839 (alticus). 



Entomacrodus Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1859, 168 (nigricans). 

 This genus differs from Salarias in the presence of posterior canines in one or both jaws. In both 

 genera the teeth are loosely inserted, and the gill-membranes form a broad fold, free from the isthmus. 

 The case of Alticus, quoted by Lacepede from manuscripts of Commerson, is parallel to that of 

 Zancius (vs. Pomacanthus), and of Antennarius (vs. Histrio), and in all these cases we allow prece- 

 dence to the earlier name. 



1586. Alticus saliens (Forster). Tanna; Samoa; New Britain; Vavau; Nukahiva (Seale). (Fig. 



Ill, p. 439.) 

 Pletmius saliens Forster, Itin., II, 343. 1788, Tanna. 



Blennius saliens, Lacepede (Alticus saltatorius Commerson), Hist. Nat. Poiss., n, 458, 1800, New Britain. 

 Btennius amphibius Walbaum, Artedi Pise., in, 187, 1792, Tanna, alter Forster. 

 Blennius tridaclylus Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 1X01, 176; after Blennius gobioides Forster. 

 Salarias tridaclylus, Gtfnther, Fische derSiidsee, 200, taf 117, figs, c, D, Vavau. 

 Salarias alticus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xi, 337, 1836. 

 Blennius gobioides Forster, Descript. Anim., 283, 1844, Tanna. 



