234 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
The above description is based chiefly upon a specimen (No. 04110) 15 inches long, obtained by us 
in Honolulu in the early part of August, 1901 ; 2 other specimens were obtained by Messrs. Goldsborough 
and Sindo at Kailua, August 10. A single specimen was obtained by Dr. Jenkins in 1889, and another 
by the Albatross in 1902. 
The specimen described by Mr. Seale was obtained by him in Honolulu in October, 1901. The 
species is a typical Apsilus. Mr. Seale’s error in placing it in the family Serranidx instead of Lutianidx 
was apparently due to his misinterpretation of the relation of the maxillary to the preofbital. The 
maxillary is well covered by the preorbital. 
This species does not seem to be abundant, but is a good food-fish. It reaches a length of about 
1.5 feet, and is an inhabitant of the deeper waters, 2 of the specimens that we have examined having 
the stomachs everted. 
Serranus brighami Seale, Occasional Papers Bishop Museum, I, No. 1, 7, 1901, Honolulu. (Type, No. 625, B. P. B. M., 
Coll. A. Seale.) 
Apsilus brighami, Jenkins, Bull. U. S. Fisli Comm., XXII, 1902 (Sept. 23, 1903), 452 (Honolulu); Snyder, op. cit. (Jan. 19, 
1904), 527 (Honolulu). 
179. Apsilus microdon (Steindachner). “ Opakapaka.” 
Head 3.1 in length; depth 3.5; eye 4 in head; snout 3; maxillary 2.6; mandible 2.1; preorbital 
8; interorbital 3.1; Br. 7; gillrakers about 16 + 5; D. x, 11; A. m, 8; scales 8-61-14. 
Body moderately short, stout, and compressed; head large, longer than deep; snout bluntly 
conic; mouth rather large, slightly oblique, the maxillary reaching pupil, slipping for its entire length 
under the rather broad preorbital, its width at tip equal to diameter of pupil, jaws equal; bands of 
villiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines, the outer series on jaws scarcely enlarged, scarcely 
canine-like, except a pair on front of upper jaw; no teeth on tongue; opercle ending in 2 flat, weak 
spines, the space between them deeply emarginate; preopercle somewhat serrate; eye moderate, its 
lower edge in line with axis of body; interorbital slightly convex, very broad; caudal peduncle short, 
its length from base of last dorsal ray to first supporting caudal rays 2.3 in head, its least width about 
2.5 in its least depth, which is slightly greater than eye, or 3.6 in head; dorsal fin beginning over base 
of pectoral, its origin midway between tip of snout and base of fifth ray, distance from origin of dorsal 
to base of first supporting caudal rays twice length of head; first dorsal spine very short, about 1.7 in 
pupil, or 3.25 in second spine; fifth dorsal spine longest, about equal to snout; last dorsal ray 
produced, its length 1.5 times that of preceding ray; origin of anal under base of fourth dorsal ray; 
first anal spine short, its length about half that of second, anal spines all weak, tfie third longest, its 
length slightly less than diameter of eye; produced anal ray similar to That of dorsal; caudal deeply 
forked, the lobes about equaling length of head; centrals moderate, not reaching vent, their length 
1.6 in head; pectoral somewhat longer, its tip reaching slightly past tips of centrals, its length 1.25 in 
head; scales rather small, firm, deeper than long; lateral line well developed, beginning at base of 
humeral plate and following contour of back to base of caudal; cheek and opercles scaled; a series of 
modified scales from bony opercular scale to nape, in front of which is a patch of normal scales. 
Color in life (No. 03008), back and upper part of side violet brown, with bright reflections; lower 
part of side and belly silvery; faint brassy stripes separated by obscure bluish ones along middle of 
side; head color of back; cheek and suborbital silvery, with dusky wash; dorsal purplish, with 3 series 
of large yellow blotches forming 3 lines; caudal dusky and greenish, the middle rays yellowish; 
pectoral, anal, and ventrals white; iris greenish yellow. 
Color in spirits, dusky or olivaceous brown above, paler on sides and below; belly somewhat 
dusky; each scale on back and upper part of side with a chocolate-brown triangular area, these forming 
indistinct longitudinal lines; membrane of dorsal fin dusky purplish, all other fins pale. 
The above description based upon a specimen (No. 6081) 10 inches long, collected at Honolulu 
by Dr. Wood. We have 10 specimens from Honolulu, 1 from Hilo, and 1 from Kailua. Dr. 
Jenkins had 2 specimens obtained at Honolulu by Dr. Wood, and the species was also found by the 
Albatross at Honolulu. It is known only from the Hawaiian Islands, where it is a common foocl-fish 
in the markets, reaching a length of 2 feet. 
Aprion microdon Steindachner, Sitzr. Ak. Wiss. Wien, LXXIV, abt. I, 1876, 158, Sandwich Islands. 
Apsilus microdon, Jenkins, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., XXII, 1902 (Sept. 23, 1903), 451 (Honolulu). 
Platyinius microclon, Snyder, op. cit. (Jan. 19, 1904), 527 (Honolulu). 
