302 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
237. Thalassoma duperrey (Quoy & Gaimard). Plate XXXV and Fig. 130. 
“ H'malea lauwili;” “A’ alailli.” 
Head 3.5 in length; depth 3.4; eye 6 in head; snout 3; preorbital 4.5; interorbital 3.6; 1). vn, 13; 
A. n, 11; scales 3-28-9. 
Body rather slender, compressed, the dorsal and ventral outlines nearly equally and regularly 
curved from tip of snout to base of caudal peduncle; head rather small; longer than deep; mouth 
small, horizontal, the gape scarcely exceeding orbit, in line with axis of body; cheek oblique, not deep; 
interorbital space high, convex; a pair of strong canines in front of each jaw, those above usually 
stronger; a series of short, bluntly conic teeth on each side of jaws; fins low; origin of dorsal slightly 
behind base of pectoral, its distance from snout 3.2 in head; dorsal fin continuous, the anterior spines 
not detached nor elevated; longest dorsal spine about equal to snout, the rays equally long; anal sim- 
ilar to soft dorsal, their heights equal; caudal with the 3 or 4 outer rays produced, their length equal 
to head or nearly twice that of middle rays; scales smooth- and thin, of about uniform size; a row of 
somewhat smaller scales sheathing bases of dorsal and anal and on base of caudal; produced caudal 
rays with fine scales at base; head entirely naked. 
Fig. 130 . — Thalassoma duperrey (Quoy & Gaimard). Type of T. pyrrhovinctum Jenkins. 
Color in life of a nearly fresh specimen, 6.5 inches long, taken at Honolulu, June 15, side bright 
green, with numerous (about 40) very narrow purplish-red vertical bars, the green interspaces about 
twice as wide; a broad band of reddish-orange, in width from nape to third dorsal spine, extending 
downward and backward on side behind the pectoral and widening out below, enveloping whole under 
parts from gill-openings to origin of anal, this area somewhat paler below, purplish behind ventrals; 
head rich bright blue, a small rusty 7 orange spot on upper edge of opercle; lips paler, lower jaw 
greenish; dorsal green along base, then a narrow greenish-blue line, next a-broacl reddish-brown or 
purplish-red band widening posteriorly, the fin narrowly bordered by pale blue; a jet-black spot with 
blue border on second dorsal membrane, this sometimes extending to first, and third membranes; 
caudal blue, the produced rays reddish, a little greenish-blue on outer edge; anal greenish at base, rest 
of fin purplish blue; pectoral pale blue, dusky at tip, deeper blue at base; axil blue and green. 
A specimen (No. 02939) somewhat faded, had the head and body and fins deep violet; chin bluish; 
a black spot on front of dorsal and a violet-black area on pectoral; area behind head violet-gray, 
scarcely contrasting with body; caudal violet. 
Another specimen had the head violet, blue on lower jaw; area behind head orange-brown; body 
behind light green with a vertical orange-brown line on each scale; first dorsal spines violet with a 
black spot; pectoral pale with black area and black axil; dorsal behind first spines orange-brown with 
violet edge; caudal violet-gray, with the lobes bright orange-brown; anal violet-black. 
Still another specimen (No. 03525) differed from typical examples in the entire absence of a paler 
bar on body at pectoral region. 
Color in alcohol, head dark bluish or bluish-black; abroad, pale, bluish-white band around body 
under nape and first part, of spinous dorsal; rest of body dusky brown washed with bluish -green; dorsal 
and anal greenish-blue; caudal dark with some bluish, in some cases with the, distal portion, except 
produced rays, almost white; pectoral pale on base, the outer half dark; belly pale; chin rich blue. 
