644 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
tine bands abutting against the posterior end of each lateral half; posterior nostril a roundish or oblong 
pore in middle of length of snout; anterior nostril a round pore in a short tube, which is prolonged at 
the inner side to form a flap, and is separated from posterior nostril by \ length of snout; the narrow 
interorbital width gently concave; gill-membranes separate, the right side overlapping, the anterior 
end of gill-slit well in advance of eye; branchiostegal rays 7; large pseudobranchise present; gills 4; 
posterior series of filaments on fourth arch shortened; a wide slit behind fourth arch; gill-rakers 
slender, toothed, 13 in number on horizontal limb of outer arch, the longest one-fourth diameter of 
eye; angle of preopercle with 2 closely apposed short spines, the angle projecting, the margin above 
angle concave. As in other species, there are 2 opercular spines and one subopercular spine, the latter 
and the upper opercular spine of equal length, the lower opercular spine shorter; a single strong 
suprascapular spine above origin of lateral line; the 5 anterior scales of lateral line bear each a strong 
median crest on the summit of the tube, but are not armed with spines. 
Origin of spinous dorsal above tip of opercular flap, its distance from tip of snout 38 hundredths 
of length to base of caudal ; spines very slender and flexible, the anterior produced far beyond outline 
of fin, forming a filament which extends to base of third ray of soft dorsal and is 19 hundredths of the 
length; second spine (13 hundredths) when declined reaching tips of last 2 spines, and well separated 
from first dorsal ray; third and fourth spines, when declined, failing to reach tips of last spines; out- 
line of fin slightly concave; first ray of soft dorsal longest (12 hundredths), and forked at tip as are all 
succeeding rays; last ray cleft to base; distance (6.5 hundredths) between last dorsal spine and first 
soft ray is two-fifths occupied by the membrane from the spine; anal fin beginning slightly before dor- 
sal and ending slightly behind it, all the rays simple except the last, which is cleft to base; caudal 
gently rounded; middle pectoral rays longest (19 hundredths), their tips reaching vertical from second 
dorsal ray; ventral spine (6.5 hundredths) strong and curved, well separated from adjoining ray by 
movable membrane; fourth ventral ray longest (14.5 hundredths), reaching half the distance from its 
base to second anal ray. 
Scales caducous and lost over the greater part of the head and body, most persistent along lateral 
line; they are thickly beset with short spines on margins, their exposed surfaces marked with fine con- 
centric lines, which center near the free margin of the scale; scales smooth on breast and abdomen and 
along base of anal; their character on head can not be determined; a single series of scales on proximal 
part of dentary, one series on maxillary; the gular and gill membranes, and a narrow median tract on 
anterior half of snout naked; rest of head closely scaled. 
Lateral line first curved upward toward origin of spinous dorsal, then gently decurrent, reaching 
its lower level opposite fourth anal ray; 5 or 6 scales between lateral line and front of soft dorsal; 4 
scales between lateral line and middle of anal base; 9 series of scales between occiput and first dorsal 
spine. 
Color in spirits, light olive brown on body, grayish on occiput, snout and opercles; upper part of 
eye black; iris margined with green in front and behind; a golden-green spot on anterior part of pre- 
opercle, a fainter one on the flap; very faintly marked greenish yellow blotches on back opposite third 
dorsal spine, third dorsal ray, and ninth dorsal ray; on lower half of side 9 conspicuous purplish dusky 
bands, narrower than the interspaces, running obliquely downward and forward, and reaching to or 
almost to base of anal; two of these bands are in front of anal fin, and do not reach midventral line; 
on dorsal half of body, these bars become obscure and the pattern is not evident; 2 or 3 of them, 
under soft dorsal, fork just above the lateral line, the branches diverging widely and reaching base of 
dorsal; anterior half of spinous dorsal black; soft dorsal with a vertical blackish streak lengthwise of 
distal half of each interradial membrane, becoming more intense toward margin of fin; tips of rays 
white; anal uniformly dusky; middle caudal rays whitish, dusky toward margin, with narrow whitish 
tips, the upper and lower rays dusky; a poorly defined small black spot on basal portion of some of the 
upper rays; pectorals dusky with lighter base and margin; ventral membrane blackish in distal por- 
tion, the rays white. 
In the cotype, 53 mm. long, from station 4079, northeast coast of Maui, depth 143 to 178 fathoms, 
the fin rays are as follows: Dorsal vi-15; anal 17; pectoral 27; ventral i, 5; scales 59 to 62. In this 
immature specimen, the first dorsal spine scarcely protrudes beyond the other spines, the bars are 
confined to a series of short blotches along lateral line, and the black spot near base of upper caudal 
rays is very intense and conspicuous, oblong-oval, and ocellated with whitish; peritoneum jet-black. 
Two specimens obtained. 
