148 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
tip of maxillary (with supplemental bone) 1.25 in eye; jaws about equal, the lower fitting in a deep 
notch in the upper; jaws, vomer, and palatines with broad bands of villiform teeth; eye large, high 
up, far above axis of body; interorbital space narrow, more than 2 in eye; bones of head rough every- 
where; interorbital with 4 low rough ridges; prenasals rough,, ending in 3 blunt, more or less serrated 
points; preorbital, postocular, preopercle, subopercle, and opercle all strongly toothed, no enlarged spine 
at angle of preopercle; nape rugose, with ridges radiating posteriorly.; bones of mandible rough; edge 
of each branchiost.egal rough; opercle with a moderately stout spine above, its surface rugose; caudal 
peduncle short and slender, its length about equal to diameter of eye, its least width 2.5 in its least 
depth, which is 1.4 in eye; origin of spinous dorsal about equidistant between tip of snout and base of 
first dorsal ray, almost directly over base of pectoral; dorsal spines strong, folding well in a groove, 
the fourth longest, about 2.6 in head; base of soft dorsal very oblique, 3 in head, the longest ray 
slightly longer than base; first anal spine very short, the third longest and strongest, its length 3.25 
in head, base of anal oblique like that of soft dorsal, 2.5 in head, longest anal ray equaling that of 
soft dorsal; caudal forked, the longest rays about 2.1 in head; ventrals short, reaching about two-fifths 
the distance to vent, their length about 2.25 in head; pectoral coterminous with ventrals, its length 2 
Fig. 52 . — Ostichthys pillwaxii (Steindachner) ; after Steindachner. 
in head; scales very large, firm and very spinigerous, each scale with about 16 to 22 very sharp, short 
spines, each of which is continued as a ridge on the surface of the scale; lateral line following curva- 
ture of back; nape and breast with strong scales; cheeks scaled, rest of head naked; base of pectoral 
with smaller scales; a sheath of small triangular scales at base of soft dorsal and anal; membranes 
of caudal fin with small, spinescent scales. 
Color in alcohol, pale yellowish with orange, silvery, brassy, and rosy reflections; back along 
spinous dorsal orange; nape rosy red; back and side with traces of about 3 or 4 rosy streaks; under 
parts white, with some rosy; branchiostegals orange at base. 
The color in life was doubtless deep red or rosy. 
This species differs from Holotrachys limn chiefly in the much larger scales and the more numerous 
spines on the scales; also in the larger eye and in having but 1 enlarged spine instead of 2 at the 
upper edge of the opercle; the mandible and maxillary are less rough. 
The above description is based upon No. 05500, a specimen 12 inches long, obtained in the 
Honolulu market by Mr. E. Louis Berndt., through whose kindness it came into our possession. No 
other specimens have been seen by us. 
Myripristis 'pillwaxii Steindachner, Beitriige, XVI, in Sitz. Ak. Wiss. Wien, CII, abt. I, 1893, 215, Pi. I, Honolulu. 
