FISHES OF HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
421 
Another specimen had the following coloration in life: Head and belly pearly blue, shading into 
light brassy, the color of other parts of the body; head and body with lines and spots of brownish 
black; membrane of dorsal deep orange with brownish black spots, the spine bluish; dorsal and anal 
banded with lemon and pearly blue; caudal deep orange, narrowly bordered with lemon; a subterminal 
band of black; fin spotted with black; iris brassy; teeth orange. 
An example from Hilo, when fresh, was mottled olive-green with traces of lighter horizontal light 
olive streaks, about 5 in number; fins soiled olive; caudal with 2 blackish bars; iris golden yellow; 
jaws flesh-color. 
General color in alcohol, brownish olivaceous, darker above; body covered with small spots as 
large as pupil and smaller, arranged in about 14 or 15 irregular lengthwise series; over the cheek these 
spots formed into lines making 6 or 7 small narrow lines running upward and forward; dorsal spine 
with small dark spots on its anterior portion, pale posteriorly; soft dorsal pale, with about 10 narrow 
dusky stripes; caudal white, a dark band, width of pupil, on its edge, this band tipped with white, 
about 10 rows of small dark spots arranged in bars; anal similar to soft dorsal; pectorals pale. 
Description chiefly from a specimen (No. 2557) 5.25 inches long, from Honolulu. 
According to Mr. Johann Hering, of Hilo, this fish comes occasionally in great numbers, but other- 
wise is very rare. The natives believe its appearance to prophesy the demise of some great personage, 
such as a king or chief. There is another red fish, which seems, according to Mr. Hering’ s descrip- 
tion, to be a species of Holocentrus, whose appearance is viewed with the same belief. 
Our collection contains 26 specimens from Honolulu and 1 from Hilo, ranging from 2.14 to 5.4 
inches in length. The Albatross obtained specimens at Honolulu; at station 4180, near Niihau, from 
the stomach of a Coryphaena; at Necker Island, carried in by a bird; at station 4147, near Bird Island, 
in 26 fathoms; at station 4167, near Bird Island, in 18 to 20 fathoms, and at station 4148, near Bird 
Island, in 26 to 33 fathoms. 
Monacanthus spilosoma Lay & Bennett, Zool. Beechey’s Voy., 70, pi. 22, tig. 1, 1839, Hawaiian Islands; Gunther, Cat., VIII, 
243, 1870 (Hawaiian Islands); Fowler, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1900, 514 (Hawaiian Islands); Steindaehner, Denies. 
Ak. Wis. Wien, LXX, 517 (Laysan Island). 
Stephanolepis spilosomus, Jenkins, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., XXII, 1902 (Sept. 23, 1903), 484 (Honolulu); Snyder, op. cit. (Jan. 
19, 1904), 534 (Honolulu; Albatross Station 4180, Niihau; Necker Island; stations 4117, 4148, 4167, near Bird Island). 
346. Stephanolepis pricei Snyder. Plate 48. 
Head 3 in length measured to base of caudal fin; depth between insertion of dorsal and anal 2.6; 
eye 3.3 in head; interorbital space 3.3; snout 1.4; depth of caudal peduncle 2.4; D. 39; A. 36. 
Snout rather pointed, upper and lower contours concave; gill-slit small and narrow, its height 
equal to width of base of pectoral, two-thirds diameter of eye; ventral flap notably narrow, its width 
equal to half diameter of eye; dorsal spine inserted above pupil, its length equal to distance between 
angle of mouth and upper edge of gill-opening, reaching the insertion of dorsal fin when depressed; 
6 lateral spines which project downward and slightly backward; 3 or 4 small granules in a row 
below the spine; anterior part of spine with prickles which point upward; length of base of dorsal 
about equal to length of head; height of fin equal to diameter of eye; length of base of anal equal to 
distance between tip of snout and posterior edge of orbit; height equal to that of dorsal; rays of dorsal 
and anal rough on basal halves; caudal round, the alternate rays with strong prickles; length of fin 
equal to length of snout; length of pectoral equal to twice the length of- gill-slit; ventral spine large, 
length of movable part about equal to length of gill-opening, the sides with large spikes which project 
backward; body and head evenly covered with prickles, those of the dorsal part slightly coarser than 
the others; no enlarged spines on caudal peduncle. 
Color silvery, dusky along top of head and back; membrane of dorsal spine blue-black; 3 small, 
round, dark spots in a line extending upward from base of pectoral; dark clouds somewhat larger than 
the eye extending downward at insertion of dorsal, from posterior half of dorsal, and on the caudal 
peduncle; a similar cloud extending upward from posterior half of base of anal. 
One specimen 2.56 inches long, station 4021, vicinity of Kauai, depth 286 to 399 fathoms. Type, 
No. 50882, U. S. Nat. Mus. Only the type known. 
Stephanolepis pricei Snyder, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., XXII, 1902 (Jan. 19, 1904), 534, pi. 12, fig. 22, Albatross Station 4021 , 
near Kauai. 
