THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO 
309 
brown; top of head with color of body; lips with brown and pale stripes; posterior half of maxillary 
pale; dorsal rather dark; caudal uniform gray or faintly barred; anal similar to dorsal in color, rays 
with pale tips forming a white edge; pectoral like caudal; ventrals pale. 
A rather plainly marked species of different aspect from other Porto Rican species of Mcdacoctenus, 
but not differing widely in any important character, and as yet known only from Porto Rico. It 
seems most closely related to M. lugubris. Three specimens of about the same size; the type, No. 
49369, U. S. N. M., 1.38 inches in length, from reef outside Culebra Harbor, February 9, 1899. 
Malacoctenus culebrx Evermann & Marsh, Rept. U. S. P. C. 1899 (Dec. 19), 357, Culebra Island. 
Head 3. 6; depth 3.7; eye 3.5; snout-3.4; maxillary 3.5; mandible 4.5; interorbital 4; scales 3-45-7, 
11 in transverse series; II. xxi, 11; A. ii, 20; pectoral 1 in head; ventral 1.2; caudal 1.2; longest dorsal 
spine 1.5, ray 1.2; longest anal ray 1.5. Body short, rather stout, compressed; head short, snout 
short, but pointed; mouth rather small, little oblique, gape scarcely reaching orbit; teeth in each jaw 
in a single series; gill-membranes broadly united across isthmus; eye small, interorbital space wide; 
dorsal outline rising abruptly to above eye, thence gently curved to origin of dorsal iin, and from there 
nearly straight to base of caudal fin; ventral outline regularly convex. 
Color in alcohol: Light olivaceous, body crossed by about 9 or 10 dark broad vertical bars, which 
extend upon dorsal fin, these usually broadest above, pale interspaces therefore broadest on lower 
half of body; the fourth from last is a narrow dark line, the one following it is a double spot, the next 
narrow and indistinct, the last, at base of caudal, more distinct, followed by 3 small irregular white 
spots; top of head brown; side of head with fine punc.tulations; a dark line running forward from eye, 
a dark spot .below eye, 2 or 3 dark blotches on anterior edge of opercle; under surface of head crossed 
by 3 or 4 irregular, indistinct dark lines; caudal and anal with fine dusky punctulations; pectoral and 
ventrals pale. 
This species is close to M. gilli, from which it may be distinguished by the larger dorsal and anal fins, 
greater depth, wider interorbital, and the coloration. Known only from one specimen, 1.4 inches 
long, type No. 49370, U. S. N. M., collected at. Culebra Island, February 11, 1899. 
Malacoctenus: moorei Evermann & Marsh, Rept. U.S.P. C. 1899 (Dec. 19), 358, Culebra Island. 
Head 3.4; depth 3.4; eye 4; snout 3.5; maxillary 3.4; mandible 2.6; interorbital 7; preorbital 8; 
scales 4-44— 8 ; D. xx, 10; A. ii, 19; P. 14; V. 2; C. 13. Body short, stout, compressed; head rather long, 
snout long and pointed; mouth small, little oblique, maxillary scarcely reaching the front of orbit; 
teeth in a single row in each jaw; gill-membranes broadly united, free from isthmus; eye high up, 
interorbital narrow; caudal peduncle short, compressed, its least depth about 3 in head. Fins rather 
large; origin of dorsal over upper end of gill-opening, first spine slightly shorter than second, which is 
somewhat longer than third, whose length is about 2.2 in head; no notch behind third and fourth 
spines, all spines from third to fifteenth being about equal in length, the sixteenth and seventeenth 
261. Malacoctenus moorei Evermann & Marsh. 
Fig. 97. — Malacoctenus moorei. 
262. Malacoctenus puertoricensis Evermann & Marsh. 
