THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO. 
119 
back moderately elevated, ventral line nearly straight; mouth moderate, little oblique, maxillary 
reaching middle of eye; caudal peduncle long and slender, least width 2 in its depth. Fins all well 
developed, longest dorsal spine about 2 in head; third anal spine very strong, about 2 in head; longest 
dorsal rays 1.2 in head; longest anal ray 1.8; pectoral short, 1.6 in head; ventral long, reaching vent, 
1.1 in head; caudal well forked, upper lobe the longer, about 1.1 in head; head very rugose; suborbital 
coarsely and irregularly dentate; opercle and preopercle strongly dentate, a large sharp spine at angle 
of preopercle, its free portion about 1.5 in eye; a broad fiat spine at upper edge of opercle; scales coarse 
and strongly ctenoid. 
Color in life: Chiefly bright rosy-red, paler below; shining longitudinal streaks along rows of 
scales; fins light-red, spinous dorsal largely golden-olive, its edge scarlet; head very red above, a white 
bar descending obliquely backward from eye. All these colors fade in alcohol, and the general 
color becomes a greenish-white, with steel-colored iridescence. 
The candil frequents the rocks and reefs throughout the West Indies and is especially abundant 
in Cuba. It is common about Porto Rico, and attracts attention at once by reason of its bright color and 
the exceeding sharpness and completeness of its armature. It is reputed “malo” by the native, but is 
occasionally found in market. Length 1 to 2 feet. Specimens were obtained at San Juan, Aguadilla, 
Puerto Real, Arroyo, Hucares, Isabel Segunda, and San Geronimo. 
Perea ascensionis Osbeck, Iter Chinensis, 388, 1771, Ascension Island. 
Bodianus pentacanthus Bloch, Ausl. Fische, IV, 40, pi. 225, 1790, Brazil. 
Holocentrus sogo Bloch, 1. c., 01, pi. 232, 1790, Africa. 
Scixna rubra Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 82, 1801; after Perea marina rubra of Catesby. 
Amphiprion matejuelo Bloch & Schneider, 1. c. , 206, 1801, Cuba; after Matejuelo of Parra. 
Bodianus jaguar LacOp&de, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 286, 1202, Brazil; after Jaguaraca of Marcgrave. 
Holocentrum longipinne Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., Ill, 185,1829, Martinique, Santo Domingo, Porto 
Rico, St. Thomas, and Havana. 
? Holocentrus striatus Gronow, Cat. Fishes, ed. Gray, 173, 1854, Antilles; name preoccupied. 
? Iiolocentrus rostralus Gronow, 1. c., 173, 1854, near the Equator; young example, not certainly identifiable. 
Holocentrum matejuelo , Poey, Fauna Puerto-Riquena, 322, 1881; Stahl 1. c., 76 and 162, 1883. 
Holocentrus ascensionis, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 848, 1896. 
75. Holocentrus vexillarius Poey. 
Head 2.8; depth 2.6; eye 2.7; snout 4.4; maxillary 3; mandible 2.25; interorbital 3.5; D. xi, 13; 
A. iv, 9; pectoral 1.4; ventral 1.6; caudal 1.5; scales 4-40-7. 
Body oblong, back little elevated, anterior profile steep and nearly straight from tip of snout to 
above eye, where there is an abrupt angle, rest of profile to nape being low and straight; interorbital 
wide, slightly concave; top of head behind eyes with about 9 serrated bony ridges on each side; eye 
very large, considerably wider than interorbital space; snout short; maxillary reaching front of eye 
(to first third of eye in example 2 inches long); preorbital with a recurved spine in front, retrorse 
teeth back of this, finer and more numerous serrations continuing nearly halfway around eye; a pair 
of strong equal spines near upper angle of opercle; several much smaller spines above, of which 
3 are somewhat enlarged, longest dorsal spines 2.1 in head; anterior rays of dorsal somewhat pro- 
duced, 2 in head; scales at base of spinous dorsal with their serrations next the fin enlarged; ventrals 
not reaching vent; second anal spine longest and much the strongest, 1.5 in head; caudal well forked; 
lobes nearly equal. 
Color in spirits: Faded-rosy, 6 narrow longitudinal very dark-purple bands between each 2 rows 
of scales on dorsal half of side; below, brown punct illations in same position and scattered more or less 
over whole body; axil of pectoral very dark-purple, the color sharply circumscribed; membrane of 
spinous dorsal white behind each spine and purple-black in front, except first 2 spines, the membranes 
of which are chiefly black; other fins pale. 
Two examples, 2 and 4 inches in length, from Ponce and Guanica, are identical with specimens of 
Holocentrum riparium from Cuba in the U. S. National Museum. Following Jordan & Evermann, we 
include H. riparium in the synonymy of II. vexillarius, though these species may prove to be distinct. 
Holocentrum vexillarium Poey, Memorias, IT, 158, 1860, Cuba. 
Holocentrum productum Poey, Synopsis, 300, 1868, Matanzas; based on a young individual 3 inches long. 
Holocentrum riparium Poey, Enumeratio, 37, 1875, Cuba. 
Holocentrus vexillarius, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 852, 1896. 
