FISHES OF HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
337 
267. Xyrichthys niveilatus Jordan & Evermann. Fig. 142. 
Head 3.3 in length; depth 2.4; eye 6.2 in head; snout 1.8; preorbital 2; maxillary 3; interorbital 
4.7; D. ii-vii, 12; A. ni, 12; scales 3-28-8. 
Body short, deep, and very greatly compressed; anterior profile nearly vertical from tip of upper 
jaw to front of eye, thence in a parabolic curve to dorsal fin ; anterior dorsal outline very trenchant; 
body tapering rather evenly from head to caudal peduncle, which is greatly compressed and very 
deep, depth at middle equaling preorbital; head short; snout very short and blunt; mouth small, hor- 
izontal, the maxillary nearly reaching anterior edge of orbit; jaws equal, each with a pair of strong 
curved canines in front, and a single series of smaller, conic teeth laterally, the canines of lower jaw- 
most prominent and extending in front of upper jaw; eye small, high up; the interorbital space narrow 
and trenchant; opercles smooth, without spines or serrations, ending in thin flexible edges; preorbital 
vertical and very deep; origin of dorsal fin above posterior line of orbit, far in advance of base of ven- 
trals; first 2 dorsal spines somewhat removed but not detached from third, the membrane between 
second and third spines moderately notched, length of second spine about 2.7 in head, remaining dorsal 
spines subequal, weak, about equal to gape; dorsal rays low', the last few somewhat produced, their 
length 3 in head; anal similar to soft dorsal; caudal short, slightly convex, rays about equal to preor- 
Fig. 142 . — Xyrichthys niveilatus Jordan & Evermann; from the type. 
bital; outer ray of ventral somewhat produced, not reaching vent, its length equaling depth of preorbital; 
pectoral broad, its tip reaching vent, its length equaling distance from snout to edge of preopercle. 
Scales large, thin, and with membranous edges, those on breast somewhat smaller; head entirely 
naked, except for a few small scales below the eye; lateral line beginning at upper end of gill-opening 
following closely the curvature of back to the scale under the last dorsal ray but 2, where it drops 3 
scales and continues to base of caudal, the pores simple, rarely branched. 
Color in life, grayish; each scale of posterior half of body with a large violet spot, more narrow 
and brighter near middle of body, the edge of each scale broadly golden-olive; a large golden area, 
anteriorly deep orange, above pectoral and on edge of opercle; behind this a large quadrate pure white 
area extending to tip of pectoral; a few' scales in golden area with bright violet markings; head shaded 
with violet, a bright violet stripe downward from eye to behind angle of mouth; a lunate black area 
shaded with red just below' front of soft dorsal; spinous dorsal violet-gray; edged with reddish; soft 
dorsal golden, w'ith violet vermiculations at base, its edge orange; anal golden, with bluish vermicula- 
tions; caudal similar, with the bluish markings; pectoral faintly reddish; ventrals dirty white. 
One of the cotypes, a male (field No. 03373), agreed in life coloration with the type except that 
behind the opercle is a golden area with the bright violet stripes across anterior basal part; behind 
f. c. b, iso.;— 22 
