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PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XVIII, July 1964 
Fig. 6. Cepbalopholis obtusaurus Evermann and Seale, 185.5 mm standard length, Tahiti (USNM 175409). 
est, its length 1.95 in head length; dorsal fin 
very fleshy at base; maxillary reaches posterior 
edge of eye; maxillary scaled, but scales mostly 
imbedded; opercular spines flattened, not sharp, 
the middle one closer to lower spine (which is 
somewhat anterior ) than to upper; hind part of 
opercular membrane truncate with rounded 
corners; preopercular margin very finely serrate. 
Color when fresh: body and fins bright 
orange-red, the edges of scales faintly brownish, 
with widely scattered small pale blue blotches; 
head, nape, and fins with numerous small red 
spots, these more evident in faint blue areas on 
head and caudal fin. In alcohol the specimen is 
pale yellowish brown with no trace of spots. 
Evermann and Seale described the color of the 
holotype as uniform yellowish, with a slight 
wash of dull brown, and stated that the fish was 
evidently uniform red in life. However, the pre- 
served specimen shows faint, close-set pale spots 
(about 2 mm in diameter) on the nape. 
Some differences were noted between the 
specimen from Tahiti and the holotype (which 
is nearly the same size; it measures 191 mm in 
standard length and approximately 238 mm in 
total length; the latter measurement difficult to 
obtain because the mouth is fully open). The 
holotype has a slightly smaller eye ( 5.64 in 
head length), slightly deeper caudal peduncle 
(3.03 in head length), maxillary not as broad 
(greatest width 5.5 in head length of Tahitian 
specimen and 6.3 in head length of holotype), 
longer pectoral fins, slightly longer pelvic fins 
(the tips reach slightly beyond anus in holo- 
type), and longer gill rakers. In view of the 
many similarities, however, such as the meristic 
data (all counts the same except for fewer scale 
rows from gill opening to end of hypural — 
about 95 in holotype), obtuse opercular flap, 
position of opercular spines, fleshy dorsal fin, 
and color, the two specimens are regarded as 
belonging to the same species. 
The stomach of the holotype of obtusaurus is 
protruding into the mouth cavity, thus suggest- 
ing that the specimen was taken from moderately 
deep water. 
Cepbalopholis obtusaurus and C. aurantius 
are evidently closely related species. They may 
be distinguished principally by the more pointed 
opercular flap, more convex interorbital, smaller 
eye, larger mouth, and higher gill raker counts 
of aurantius. Also, aurantius has the charac- 
teristic black submarginal line at the posterior 
edge of the caudal fin, which is lacking in 
obtusaurus. 
Although other specimens of obtusaurus may 
be present in museums, possibly labelled as 
aurantius, the author knows of only the holotype 
from the Philippines and the one specimen from 
Tahiti. 
ADDITIONAL specimen OF Epinephelus 
socialis FROM TAHITI 
Epinephelus socialis 
Fig. 7 
