FISHES OF HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
299 
235. Thalassoma fuscum (Lacepede). “ Awela.” Plate XXXIV.® 
Hoail 3.4 in length; depth 3.2; eye 6.8 in head; snout 3; preorbital 4.25; interorbital 3.25; D. vm, 
13; A. hi, II; scales 4-27-8. 
Body short, moderately deep and compressed; dorsal and ventral outlines about equally convex; 
head short, slightly longer than deep; snout short and bluntly conic; mouth small, in line with axis 
of body, little oblique, jaws equal; a pair of strong canines in front in each jaw, and a series of close- 
set conic teeth on the sides; eye small, scarcely anterior; interorbital space high, broadly convex; 
caudal peduncle deep, 1.8 in head; fins rather small, origin of dorsal over middle of base of pectoral, 
its distance from tip of snout one-third distance to base of caudal tin; dorsal spines short, their length 
5.2 in head; soft portion of dorsal somewhat higher, the longest rays about 2.9 in head; anal similar 
to soft dorsal, the rays of about equal length, caudal somewhat lunate, the outer rays produced, their 
length 1.9 in head or a fourth longer than middle rays; ventrals short, 2 in head or reaching halfwav 
to origin of anal; pectoral longer, broad, 1.3 in head; scales large, thin, and firm, those on breast and 
belly somewhat reduced; head wholly naked; lateral line nearly straight for 19 scales, or under the 
fourth dorsal spine from last, where it curves downward 2 rows, continuing to base of caudal on median 
line of peduncle. 
Color in spirits of some specimens, head and nape dusky bluish above; cheek light brownish; 
opercle blackish; under jaw and throat pale bluish; upper part of side dark brownish and bluish; 
middle of side with a pale whitish band somewhat dusky, extending from opercular flap to base of 
caudal; above and below this 2 broad bluish-green bands somewhat greater than a scale in width, 
made up of oblong or quadrate vertical spots separated by intrusion of the central paler band, these 
bluish-green areas suggesting the openings in the French harp; under part of side and belly colored 
like the median line; dorsal bluish green at base, bordered above by a broad purplish band, beyond 
which is a somewhat narrower blue-green band indistinctly bordered with paler; membranes among 
first 3 dorsal spines blackish; anal similar to soft dorsal, the blue-green border somewhat wider; lines 
separating the blue-green and purplish not blackish; ventrals pale at base, light, greenish on distal 
portion; pectoral pale yellowish at base, dusky on outer half, the axil and upper margin black; head 
without markings. 
The above description is based upon a specimen (No. 03526) 9.5 inches long obtained at Honolulu, 
from which the accompanying colored plate was made. 
Another specimen (No. 03021), 8 inches long, from Honolulu, had side with 3 broad pale brick-red 
stripes separated by 3 bluish or yellowish-blue ones, these extending from opercle to caudal; upper 
stripe about 3 scales wide, narrowly bordered above at base of dorsal by greenish blue, and crossed by 
about 6 narrow vertical greenish or yellowish bars connecting with the first yellowish-blue stripe, 
which is about one scale wide, begins at upper edge of opercle and ends at base of caudal, a narrow 
saddle of same passing over caudal peduncle at posterior end of dorsal fin, third stripe brick red, 
running from opercular flap to middle of base of caudal, fourth stripe like the second but better 
defined, fifth like the first and third, the sixth along side of belly ill-defined, yellowish green; head 
reddish olive, lower jaw and breast the same; opercular flap bluish olive; dorsal orange red at base, 
then a narrow bright blue stripe, broadly edged with green on posterior two-thirds, the membranes 
with faint yellow blotches; anal pale brick red at base, then a broad bright blue border, the outer half 
of membranes between ninth and eleventh rays white; the last, ray brick red to tip, a little blue at 
base and on tip; caudal dusky orange with reddish wash at base, greenish in center, the outer half 
with alternating blue and orange lines, the blue lines more or less greenish at anterior end, upper and 
lower margins bright blue, with some green; pectoral yellow at base, bluish dusky along anterior edge 
and outer two-thirds; ventrals pale bluish; iris greenish brown. 
A specimen (No. 05754) obtained at Ililo had the following colors when fresh: 
Body darkish coral-red (modified brick-red); shoulder and belly light yellowish brown; back 
claret, rather darkish; 2 longitudinal rows of elongated squares of bright emerald-green with cobalt- 
blue border on body; the upper one beginning on fourth scale and terminating on the upper part of 
caudal peduncle; the lower one beginning on seventh scale and terminating at base of caudal, where 
the upper edge of the row touches the lateral line; from the upper row issue 5 green bars dorsally at 
regular intervals, these connecting with the green stripe at base of dorsal; ventral side of tail sligbtlv 
Thalassomapurpureum (Forsk&l) on the plate. 
