4 22 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Genus 191. OSBECKIA Jordan & Evermann. 
This genus differs from Alutera in having the caudal fin elongate and with rounded angles; colora¬ 
tion not uniform, the head and body with irregular blue spots and lines, besides small round black 
spots; upper profile of snout concave. 
0lsbeckia jJ®dan & Evermann, Check-List Fishes, 424, 1896 ( scripta ). 
346. Osbeckia scripta (Osbeek). “O’ ililepa;” “Ohua.” Fig. 184. 
Head 3.7 in length; depth 2.9; eye 6.5 in head; snout 1; I), i—17; A. 49; C. 12; P. 14. 
Body oblong, compressed, tapering, the greatest depth, which is over vent, greater than eye .and 
snout by an eye’s diameter; snout produced, the anterior profile concave; dorsal profile convex from 
in front of spine to caudal peduncle, a broad angle at beginning of soft dorsal which is midway between 
tip of snout and base of caudal fin: ventral outline evenly and less convex; caudal peduncle compressed, 
its least width 3.2 in its least depth, which is 2 in snout; chin prominent; teeth white, broad incisors, 
strongly einarginate in lower jaw, more pointed in the upper; gill-opening oblique, 1.6 times diameter 
of orbit; interorbital' high, the sides forming an acute angle. Dorsal spine short, slender, shorter than 
eye, granular, inserted over middle of orbit; soft dorsal with the margin rounded, none of the rays 
produced, length of middle ones 4 in snout; anal similar to soft dorsal, the rays somewhat shorter; 
caudal fin rounded, longer than head, about 2.6 in body; pectoral short, 3.6 in snout; no ventral spine. 
Color in life (No. 03006, a specimen 23 inches long, taken June 8), olivaceous; head and body 
with numerous irregular lines and spots of sky blue, the lines most numerous on head and near bases 
of dorsal and anal fins, the round spots most numerous on middle of side and on head; scattered 
smaller brown spots on the interspaces; lips black; dorsal and anal pale yellow; caudal dusky, paler 
at tip; iris yellowish silvery, dark above. 
Color in alcohol, dusky olivaceous, the blue spots and lines faded to pale blue or brownish. In 
some examples the color is much darker, almost dark velvety brown, the spots black. 
This species inhabits all tropical seas, and is common in the West Indies. It has been taken on 
the Atlantic coast as far north as the Carolinas, and occasionally among the islands of the Pacific coast 
of Mexico. It does not appear to be very common among the Hawaiian Islands, however, and was 
not obtained bv Doctor Jenkins in 1889, though Jordan and Snyder secured one example in 1900. 
We have 5 specimens, 17.5 to 25.25 inches long, all from Honolulu. 
Batistes scripta Osbeek, Iter Chinensis, I, 144, 1751, China Seas. 
Batistes moncceros seriptus Ginelin, Syst. Nat., 1463, 1788; after Osbeek. 
fj.ija trompa Parra, Dif. Piezas Hist. Nat., 46, pi. 22, fig. 1, Havana. 
Batistes forts Bloch, Ichthyol., XII, 65, pi. 414, 1795, Morocco; Tranquebar. 
Batistes liturosus Shaw, General Zool. V, 405, 1804, Tahiti. 
Batistes ornatus Marion de ProcG, Bull. Soe. Philom., 131,1822, Isle Waigiou. 
Ain teres patera Lesson, Voy. Coquille, Zool., II, Part 1, 106, 1830, Tahiti. 
f Mouacanthumproboseideum Ranzani, Nov. Comm. Ac. So. Inst. Bolton.. V. 1842, 8, Brazil. 
Alllterus venosus Bollard, Ann. Se. Nut., Ser. 4, IV. 1855, I t, pi. 1. fig. 3, New Ireland, Bismarck Archipelago (Coll. Lesson 
and Garnot). 
