FISHES OF HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
283 
Genus 150. STETHOJULIS Gunther. 
Body oblong, compressed, covered with large scales, 25 to 30 in lateral line, those of the thorax 
enlarged, larger than those of rest of body; head scaleless; lateral line not interrupted; mouth small; 
canines small, close set, those of upper jaw very short, those of lower jaw forming a cutting edge; large 
posterior canines present; tins low; D. ix, 11; A. in, 11, the spines short and pungent. Small fishes 
of the coral reefs allied to Halichoeres, but the anterior canines much less developed and the posterior 
canine wanting. Coloration always exquisite. 
ShilwjuUs Gunther, Cut., It', 110, 18011 (strir/ircntcr). 
a. Side without longitudinal stripes; olivaceous, thickly covered with small bright green dots. axillaris, p. 283 
aa. Side With 4 longitudinal blue-red stripes; upper half of side grayish olive, lower half grayish white with purplish 
wash. alboviltala, p. 284 
222. Stethojulis axillaris (Quoy & Gaimard). “ Omaha.” Fig. 121. 
Head 3 in length; depth 3.2; eye 5.4 in head; snout 2.6; preorbital 5; interorbital 5; 1>. ix, 11: 
A. in, 11; seales 3-26-8. 
Body rather short, deep and moderately compressed; head longer than deep and pointed; snout 
sharp pointed; jaws each with a series of elose-set bluntly conic teeth; no enlarged anterior canines, 
posterior canine not developed in any specimen examined; preorbital oblique; opercle ending in a 
broad thin flap; eye small, the lower edge of orbit in axis of body; dorsal and ventral outlines about 
equally curved; caudal peduncle moderate, its depth about 2.2 in head; fins moderate; dorsal spines 
short, the rays slightly longer; caudal slightly rounded; ventrals short; pectoral longer, 1.5 in head; 
Fig. 121 . — Slrtliojulis axillaris (Quoy A Gaimaril); after Gunther. 
scales large, those on breast and nape not reduced in size; head entirely naked; lateral line complete, 
curving downward; 3 rows of scales under posterior portion of dorsal. 
Color in life of example (No. 03441) taken in coral rocks, olive, with irregular white areas irregu¬ 
larly placed over body; dorsal and anal fins golden with series of pink dots on rays; on one side of caudal 
peduncle 2, on other side 3 black spots; black spot with yellow margin at bases of last 2 rays of soft 
dorsal, similar one in same position on anal; golden spot just above axil of pectoral; yellow from tip 
of snout following horizontal straight line backward just below eve to preopercle; yellow below this 
line to ventral aspect of head, fading to a light color in alcohol. 
A young example 2.5 inches long when fresh, clear olive-green, sanded above with very faint gray 
points; lower half of head from snout abruptly golden, the upper lip orange; axil orange; a black streak 
across base of pectoral; 3 indigo-blue spots bordered with paler blue on caudal peduncle, the middle 
one largest, the third not ocellate and above median line; dorsal orange, finely barred with darker and 
with olive at base, its edge whitish; anal orange with whitish edge, obscurely green at base; a large 
ocellus on last rays of dorsal and anal; caudal plain reddish; pectoral and ventrals greenish gray. 
Example No. 3077, somewhat faded; back greenish brown with very line white sand-like specks; 
head violet brown, dotted above; belly and lower half of side abruptly purplish red, with traces of 4 
red streaks along rows of scales; 2 very small black ocelli surrounded with blue on tail, the second 
