298 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
on each side, a longer pair in front of upper jaw and 2 pairs in lower jaw; premaxillary broad and 
oblique; interorbital moderate, high and convex; anterior profile gently curved from tip of snout to 
origin of dorsal, thence in a low curve to caudal peduncle; ventral outline less convex than dorsal; 
caudal peduncle very deep, nearly equal to one-half greatest depth of body; eye small, anterior, entirely 
above axis of body; origin of dorsal fin over base of pectoral, the spines all low, their length about 4 
in head; soft portion of dorsal slightly higher, the rays 3.25 in head; anal similar to soft dorsal, its 
origin equally distant between tip of snout and tip of produced caudal rays; anal rays as high as those 
of dorsal; caudal deep, short, the middle rays a little longer than length of snout, the outer rays pro¬ 
duced a distance a little greater than diameter of orbit; ventrals short, reaching only half the distance 
to origin of anal, their length 2.4 in head; pectoral longer, 1.5 in head; scales large and thin, their 
size quite uniform except on nape, where they are somewhat reduced; head entirely naked; lateral 
line not strongly developed, the pores often branched, following contour of back until under base 
of fourth dorsal ray from last, where it drops 2 rows and continues to base of caudal; base of caudal 
with small scales. 
Color in alcohol, dark, purplish brown, each scale on side with a narrow bluish-black vertical 
stripe, these forming about 45 more or less distinct discontinuous vertical bars; head uniform purplish 
or olivaceous, paler below and without markings; dorsal, anal, and ventrals purplish or bluish black, 
the edges lighter; caudal bluish black, the base and produced rays darkest; in some specimens the 
caudal is throughout uniform bluish black excepting a very narrow paler margin on middle rays, in 
other cases only the base and produced rays are dark, all the rest of fin being light yellowish white or 
dusky; pectoral uniform bluish black with lighter edge, or more or less yellowish white with dusky 
at base or middle and dusky on inner side. 
There is considerable variation in the extent of prolongation of the outer caudal rays; in the 
smallest individual they are scarcely produced and the caudal is practically truncate. In the largest 
individuals the outer rays are produced beyond the tips of inner rays a distance equal to half length 
of latter. There is also considerable variation in the color of the caudal fin. In some of the larger 
examples, probably old males, it is uniform bluish black, while in others the large lunate pale area 
covers most of the fin. We are convinced, however, after an examination of a large series of excellent 
specimens, that the specimen from Johnston Island described by Smith and Swain as .Mix verticalis 
and Giinthertg Julis obscura are identical with Julis ballieui Vaillant & Sauvage. 
This species is extremely abundant at Honolulu, where it is constantly seen in the market. Of 
the (13 specimens examined by us, 19 were obtained at Honolulu by Dr. Jenkins, 4 by the A/hatross 
in 1S96, 5 by Jordan and Snyder in 1900, 32 by us at Honolulu, and 3 at Hilo. In 1902 th e-zilbatross 
obtained specimens at Honolulu and Lavsan. 
Julis ballieui Vaillant V Sauvage, Rev. Mag. Zool., Ill, 1875, 284. Sandwich Islands. 
Julis obscura Gunther, Repl. Shore Fishes, Challenger, Zoo]., 1, l’ait VI. 61, pi. 2(1, figs. A. & B., 1880, Honolulu; Steindach 
ner, Denks. Ak. Wiss, Wien, I, X X, 1900, 506 (Honolulu and Laysan). 
■in!is verticalis Smith A Swain, Proc. C. S. Nat. Mus. 1882 (July 8), 135, Johnston Island. 
Thalassoma obscurum , Jenkins. Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., XXII, 1902 (Sept. 23, 1903), 463 (Honolulu). 
Thalassoma ballieui, Snyder, Bull. D. S. Fish Comm., XXII, 1902 (Jan. 19, 1904), 529 (Honolulu). 
