638 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [40] 



Genus XVII.— HALICHOERES. 



Halichceres Ruppcll, Neue Wirbeltliiere, Fische, 16, 1835 (bimaculatus, etc.) (not 



preoccupied by Halichccrus, a genus of seals). 

 Platyglossus species Gunther, and most recent authors; probably not identical with 



Platyglossus Bleeker, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1866, 411 (marginatus). 

 Ichthycallus Swainson, Nat. Hist. Class'n Anim., ii., 1839, 232 (dimidiatus, etc., a 



confused jumble of species). 

 Chcerojulis Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862, 142 (substitute for Halichceres). 



Type : Halichceres bimaculatus Riippell. 



Etymology : * AXq, the sea; xoipoq, h°g* 



I adopt the genus Halichceres as denned by Bleeker, and in a sense 

 somewhat narrower than that in which it is taken by Dr. Gunther. I 

 separate from it Platyglossus (marginatus). The dorsal in Platyglossus 

 has a scaly sheath at its base somewhat as in the genus Harpe. The 

 anterior canines in Platyglossus are |. In Oiintheria (cceruleovittata) 

 the upper part of the opercleis scaled and the canines are f. In Hemi- 

 tautoga' {centiquadra) there are two rows of small scales on the cheeks, 

 as well as on the opercles above. In Macropharyngodon (gceffroyi) the 

 strongest marked of the various genera of Bleeker, which Gunther has 

 united with Platyglossus and Halichceres, the lower pharyngeals are very 

 small, provided with but three teeth, of which the middle one is 

 quite large. In Macropharyngodon, the canines are small, f in number. 

 All the American species now referred to Halichceres have the anterior 

 canines f . The East Indian species have the teeth f, except in two or 

 three species, in which the teeth are f. The American species may 

 properly be held to constitute a subgenus, or perhaps even a distinct 

 genus, for which the name Ichthycallus, based in part on Halichceres 

 dimidiatus, may be retained. 



Most or all of the species of Ichthycallus have three anal spines, while 

 in Halichceres the usual number is two. 



Should the name Halichceres be regarded as preoccupied by the sim- 

 ilar name Halichccrus, this genus may be called Ichthycallus or Chcero- 

 julis. 



ANALYSIS OF AMERICAN SPECIES OF HALICHCERES. 



I. Anterior canines f ; anal spines three; American species (Subgenus Ichthycallus 

 Swainson). 

 a. Caudal fin very slightly concave, truncate when spread open, the outer rays 

 longer than the middle ones; body deep and compressed; the 

 depth about 2f in the length ; ventral fins filamentous, the 

 outer ray produced, more than twice as long as inner ray ; 

 scales before dorsal not crossing the middle line, in about five 

 series. 

 b. Side below spinous dorsal without dark cross-bar ; general color bluish ( (?) or 

 bronze ( 9 ) with many sky-blue spots, most distinct poste- 

 riorly ; sky-blue spots and streaks on head ; a stripe passing 

 through upper part of eye ; fins with blue stripes ; a dark axil- 

 lary spot; end of pectoral dusky., ,. .„,.,,Radiatus, 41. 



