264 
Anal fin inserted opposite tenth dorsal 
spine; shape similar to dorsal; first spine half 
of second; third spine longest, subequal to 
last dorsal spine; longest soft anal ray equal 
to distance between orbit and base of pec- 
toral; membrane notched behind first spine. 
Pectoral rounded; inserted just below mid- 
line; lowest four to six rays free from mem- 
brane in distal halves; lowest ray with four 
branches in adults and sub-adults (over 50 
mm.) ; next five rays with four to nine branches 
each. 
Pelvics inserted before pectoral base; spine 
longer than third anal spine, bound to first 
soft ray; first ray thickened, bifid almost to 
base, elongated, reaching at least to anal 
origin; three inner rays bifid, not thickened 
or elongated. 
Caudal rounded. 
Head naked laterally and dorsally before 
preopercle; nape, preopercle, and opercle with 
cycloid scales; preopercle with ten or eleven 
forwardly sloping, oblique scale rows; seven 
scales in horizontal series across widest part 
of preopercle; opercle with a few large scales 
about three or four times size of those on 
preopercle; scales above upper lateral line 
cycloid; first thirteen scales of upper lateral 
line cycloid; curved line from tenth lateral 
line scale to third scale behind center of axilla 
and to third scale before vent marking pos- 
terior boundary of cycloid scales; all other 
body scales ctenoid; dorsal and anal sheaths 
cycloid; ten predorsals. 
Color (in alcohol) of head, body, and fins 
blackish; two short postorbital bars not run- 
ning on to scaled area of preopercle; many of 
body scales with light center; margin of dorsal 
membrane dusky, lighter than basal portion; 
caudal with narrow light margin. 
This description is based primarily upon 
USNM 147530 (Red Sea) amplified by Rap- 
pell’s descriptions and the notes of Dr. Zilch. 
Material examined: Red Sea (1). 
Range: Apparently restricted to the Red 
Sea. 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. IX, July, 1955 
Plesiops multisquamata new species 
Plesiops nigricans Gilchrist and Thompson, 
1911, So. African Mus., Ann. 11: 37; 1917, 
Durban Mus., Ann. 1: 335; Barnard, 1927, 
So. African Mus., Ann. 21: 494; Smith, 
1949, Sea Fishes So. Africa, p. 186, fig. 410; 
1952, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. XII, 5: 
141, pi. 9. 
\non\ Plesiops nigricans Riippdl, 1828, Atlas 
Reise nor dL. Afrika, Fische, p. 15. 
Diagnosis: Dorsal spines XII; lateral line 
25-30 + 13-19; mid-lateral scales 28-34; 
transverse series 5/1/10-12; total gill rakers 
on first arch 16-19; two lowest pectoral rays 
with more than two branches each; standard 
length of adults well beyond 100 mm.; total 
length commonly over 200 mm.; -opercle 
without dark ocellus; small blue spots over 
head and body; fins blackish. 
Description: Dorsal XII, 7; pectoral 21-23; 
pelvic I, 4; anal III, 8; gill rakers 4-6 + 
11-13; total length 220-245 mm. 
(The following is based primarily upon 
Smith, 1952.) Body slightly compressed; dor- 
sal profile convex, rising gradually from 
snout, feebly concave over nape; ventral pro- 
file convex; snout subequal to eye; mouth 
somewhat oblique; maxilla reaching posterior 
level of orbit; posterior nostril close to orbit, 
anterior nostril with short tube. 
Dorsal origin above pectoral base or oper- 
cle; fin obtusely pointed posteriorly; spines 
increasing in size posteriorly; first spine four- 
fifths second; second spine subequal to eye 
diameter; longest soft ray about twice length 
of longest spine; membrane extending be- 
yond tips of spines; membrane incised along 
forward edge of spines almost to base of 
second, to eighth; notch decreasing in depth 
beyond that spine. 
Anal origin opposite ninth or tenth dorsal 
spine; shape similar to that of dorsal; first 
spine little over half length of second which 
is four-fifths of last; third spine slightly 
shorter than last dorsal spine; longest anal 
ray subequal to longest dorsal ray; membrane 
