24 
A.C. GILL AND A.J. EDWARDS 
LSCP 

—S 
Fig.4 Cephalic sensory pores of Pseudoplesiops occidentalis, BPBM 32926, 24.9 mm SL, holotype, South Malé Atoll, Maldive Islands. Arrow indicates 
atypical doubled suborbital pore (present unilaterally only in holotype). IMR, intermandibular ridge. Other abbreviations and methods of presentation 
follow Fig. 2. 
DESCRIPTION. (Based on five specimens, 16.7—26.5 mm SL) 
Dorsal-fin rays II,23, last 6-7 (6) segmented rays branched; anal-fin 
rays II,14, last 5-6 (5) segmented rays branched; pectoral-fin rays 
15-16 (16/15), upper 2-4 (2/2) and lower 1-3 (1/2) rays simple; 
pelvic-fin rays [,3, all segmented rays simple; principal caudal-fin 
rays 9 + 8, the uppermost 1-2 (1) and lowermost 1-2 (2) rays 
unbranched; upper procurrent caudal-fin rays 3—4 (4); lower 
procurrent caudal-fin rays 3-4 (4); total caudal-fin rays 23-25 (25); 
scales in lateral series 26-28 (27/27); predorsal scales 6-8 (8); 
transverse scales 11-12 (11/11); scales behind eye 2; scales to 
preopercular angle 3; circumpeduncular scales 16; ctenoid scales 
beginning at 7—9 (7/9) transverse scale rows behind branchial 
opening; gill rakers 2-4 + 8-11 = 10-15 (2 + 8); pseudobranch 
filaments 6-7 (7). 
Head pores (all bilaterally paired; Fig. 4): nasal pores 2; anterior 
interorbital pores 1; posterior interorbital pores 0; supraotic pores 2; 
suborbital pores 8—9 (9/8); posterior otic pores 0; preopercular pores 
7; dentary pores 4; intertemporal pores 1; anterior temporal pores 0; 
posttemporal pores 1; parietal pores 2. 
As percentage of standard length: body depth at dorsal-fin origin 
24.0—28.2 (26.5); greatest body depth 24.0-32.4 (27.7); body width 
13.3-14.5 (13.3); head length 30.5—33.5 (30.5); snout length 5.0— 
6.4 (5.6); orbit diameter 8.4—10.2 (8.4): interorbital width 3.64.8 
(3.6); upper jaw length 11.3—-12.0 (11.6); depth of caudal peduncle 
16.5-16.9 (16.5); caudal peduncle length 7.2-8.5 (7.2); predorsal 
length 29.0-32.9 (31.3); preanal length 55.0-61.1 (60.2); prepelvic 
length 30.1-32.5 (30.1); length of first segmented dorsal-fin ray 
10.4-11.7 (10.4); length of third from last segmented dorsal-fin ray 
17.7-19.7 (17.7); dorsal-fin base length 61.7—71.4 (62.7); length of 
first segmented anal-fin ray 12.2—14.5 (12.9); length of third from 
last anal-fin ray 17.8—18.7 (18.5); anal-fin base length 32.8-35.9 
(33.7); caudal fin length 25.3—27.9 (25.3); pectoral fin length 22.5— 
24.0 (23.3); pelvic fin length 27.7—35.3 (27.7). 
Lower lip complete; prominent intermandibular flap absent, al- 
though low ridge present in some specimens (Fig. 4); fin spines 
weak and flexible; anterior dorsal-fin pterygiophore formula S/S/3/ 
1 + 1; 15-16 (15) consecutive dorsal-fin pterygiophores inserting in 
1:1 relationship directly behind neural spine 4; anterior anal-fin 
pterygiophore formula 2/1 + 1; 7—8 (8) consecutive anal-fin 
pterygiophores inserting in 1:1 relationship directly behind haemal 
spine 2; second segmented pelvic-fin ray longest; caudal fin weakly 
rounded to rounded or slightly emarginate; scales with distinct 
centres and radii in all fields; dorsal and anal fins without distinct 
scale sheaths, although with basal row of body scales overlapping 
fin base, particularly on posterior part of fins; anterior lateral line 
represented by single tubed scale at branchial opening, followed by 
intermittent series of centrally pitted scales, which terminate at 
vertical through base of segmented dorsal-fin ray 17—22 (2/22): 
