242 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XVIII, July 1964 
TABLE 2 
Anal and Pectoral Fin Rays for Species of Parapercis 
SPECIES 
TOTAL ANAL 
TOTAL PECTORAL 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
28 
30 
32 
34 
36 
38 
40 
42 
y 
s 
ramsayi 
- 
- 
1 
2 
- 
- 
6 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
32.0 
- 
aurantiaca 
- 
— 
- 
1 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
2 
- 
40.0 
- 
multifasciata 
- 
- 
- 
24 
2 
- 
- 
- 
- 
7 
35 
7 
2 
38.2 
1.25 
binivirgata 
- 
- 
- 
3 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
1 
5 
- 
39.7 
0.58 
sexfasciata 
- 
- 
1 
31 
8 
- 
- 
71 
9 
- 
- 
- 
- 
32.5 
0.68 
mimaseana 
- 
- 
- 
1 
— 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
2 
- 
- 
38.0 
- 
muronis 
- 
- 
- 
3 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
6 
- 
40.0 
0.69 
colias 
15 
2 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
1 
6 
25 
2 
39.7 
1.11 
allporti 
- 
9 
5 
12 
1 
39.4 
1.01 
gilliesi 
- 
7 
5 
9 
- 
39.3 
0.95 
schauinslandi 
- 
24 
1 
- 
- 
- 
6 
43 
1 
- 
- 
- 
- 
31.8 
0.58 
filament os a 
- 
- 
3 
- 
- 
- 
- 
6 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
32.0 
- 
alb o guttata 
- 
- 
4 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
1 
5 
2 
- 
- 
36.3 
0.13 
emeryana 
- 
- 
8 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
16 
- 
- 
- 
- 
34.0 
0.53 
nebulosa 
- 
1 
23 
1 
- 
- 
- 
- 
4 
43 
3 
- 
- 
34.0 
0.61 
haackei 
- 
- 
9 
- 
— 
1 
17 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
29.9 
0.33 
cylindrica 
- 
25 
- 
- 
- 
6 
42 
2 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
29.8 
0.72 
snyderi 
- 
7 
1 
- 
15 
1 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
28.1 
0.35 
pulchella 
- 
29 
2 
- 
- 
- 
- 
27 
35 
- 
- 
- 
- 
33.1 
0.76 
ommatura 
- 
- 
25 
1 
- 
9 
40 
3 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
29.8 
0.94 
cephalopunctata 
1 
51 
- 
— 
- 
- 
- 
4 
88 
12 
- 
- 
- 
34.1 
0.66 
clathrata 
— 
27 
- 
- 
— 
— 
- 
4 
42 
8 
- 
- 
- 
34.0 
0.90 
hexophthalma 
- 
12 
1 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
14 
12 
- 
- 
- 
35.1 
1.04 
polyophthalma 
— 
17 
1 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
16 
20 
- 
- 
- 
35.0 
1.19 
tetracantha 
1 
13 
_ 
_ 
— 
_ 
_ 
- 
4 
24 
- 
- 
- 
35.7 
0.60 
xanthozona 
- 
19 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
9 
28 
1 
- 
- 
- 
33.6 
0.90 
within a species are the shape of the spinous 
dorsal and its connection to the soft dorsal ( Fig. 
1 ) . The shape of the spinous dorsal falls into 
two categories: (1) the middle spines are longer 
than the last; or (2) the spines become pro- 
gressively longer posteriorly. The membranous 
connection between the two fins is from the tip 
of the last spine to the base of the first soft ray 
(deeply notched), or from the spine tip to the 
first soft ray at a level with the tip of the spine 
(no notch). 
Along with dentition and the shape and con- 
nection of the spinous dorsal fin, other charac- 
ters determined to be most useful because of 
their small degree of variability are the number 
of caudal vertebrae and the number of rays of 
the dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins. 
GENUS Parapercis Bleeker 
Parapercis Bleeker, 1863, p. 236 (type species, 
Sciaena cylindrica Block). 
Neopercis Steindachner and Doderlein, 1884, 
p. 212 (type species, Parapercis ramsayi 
Steindachner ) . 
Osurus Jordan and Evermann, 1903, p. 206 
(type species, Parapercis schauinslandi 
Steindachner) . 
Chilias Ogilby, 1910, p. 40 (type species, 
Percis stricticeps De Vis). 
Neopercis was erected using the presence of 
palatine teeth as the only character distinguish- 
ing it from the genus Parapercis. Whitley 
(1932) discovered Parapercis cylindrica , the type 
of Parapercis , also had palatine teeth. Thus Neo- 
percis is a synonym of Parapercis. 
The only character used by Jordan and Ever- 
mann to distinguish Osurus from Parapercis was 
the deeply forked caudal fin of P. schauinslandi, 
which I regard as an insignificant character. 
Ogilby did not give any valid reason for dis- 
tinguishing Chilias from Parapercis and none 
were found. 
