Revision of Plesiops — Inger 
267 
(1875: p. 27) that nigricans , with which he 
synonymized corallicola , has a conspicuous 
yellow-ringed, dark spot on the opercle (see 
pi. 3, fig. 3 in the latter work). It may be 
assumed that this later description applies to 
corallicola as true nigricans , which has no oper- 
cular ocellus, does not occur in the East 
Indies, the origin of all of Bleeker’s material. 
Bleeker thought that the ocellus, found 
only in the larger of his specimens, was an 
adult characteristic. But, since he included 
coeruleolineatus in the synonymy of nigricans , 
it may also be assumed that his "juveniles” 
were really adult coeruleolineatus . (Compare 
size ranges of coeruleolineatus and corallicola .) 
Gunther (1861) agreed with Bleeker that 
corallicola was probably identical to nigricans 
Riippell although Gunther still maintained 
the former (figured by him with an opercular 
ocellus) as a distinct species in Fische der 
Siidsee (1873). All subsequent authors (e.g., 
Day, 1878; Boulenger, 1895; Jordan and Seale, 
1906; Weber and de Beaufort, 1929) have 
incorrectly called the ocellated species nigricans. 
Plesiops nakaharae Tanaka agrees with coral- 
licola in length, coloration, and counts (gill 
rakers 14, lateral line 19+13-14, dorsal 
XII, 7). There appears to be no reason for 
recognizing nakaharae as a distinct form. 
Diagnosis: Dorsal spines normally XII; lat- 
eral line 17-21 + 11-16; mid-lateral series 
21-25; scales in transverse series 3-4/1/8-10; 
total gill rakers on first arch 13-17; lowest 
pectoral rays with at least three and usually 
four or more branches, next ray with at least 
four branches in all specimens over 45 mm.; 
standard length commonly above 70 mm.; 
maximum total length about 140 mm.; oper- 
cle with a dark, light-rimmed ocellus; pre- 
opercle not crossed by black bars; head and 
body often with minute bluish or whitish 
spots; caudal blackish, occasionally with a 
narrow light margin. 
Description: Dorsal XII-XIII, 6-7; pectoral 
19-22; pelvic I, 4; anal III, 8; gill rakers 
4-7+8-11, total 13-17; standard length 
10.0-120.0 mm.; head 2.56-2.96 (mean 2.73 
±0.02; N = 30); depth 2.88-3.56 (mean 3.21 
±0.04; N = 23). 
Body elongate (juveniles) to oval (adults), 
compressed; dorsal profile convex; rostro- 
dorsal line rising gradually, feebly curved, 
forming a 30 degree angle with mid-lateral 
line; ventral profile weakly convex, sloping 
in straight line from snout to pelvics; snout 
bluntly pointed in profile, shorter than eye; 
mouth slightly oblique; maxilla reaching be- 
hind orbit; posterior nostril just before orbit, 
equidistant from orbit and anterior tubulated 
nostril; diameter of orbit equal to its hori- 
zontal distance from end of preopercle, one 
and one-half to twice width of interorbital. 
Dorsal origin above pectoral base or oper- 
cle; fin pointed posteriorly; spines increasing 
in size to tenth; first spine about three-fourths 
second; second equals distance between orbit 
and end of preopercle; longest soft ray more 
than twice length of last spine, equal to or 
greater than distance between orbit and pec- 
toral base; membrane extending beyond tips 
of spines; membrane incised along forward 
edge of spines almost to base of second to 
fourth spines; notch decreasing gradually in 
depth posteriorly but reaching halfway to base 
at front of last spine. 
Anal origin opposite tenth or eleventh 
dorsal spine; shape similar to that of dorsal; 
first spine two-thirds of second which is two- 
thirds of last; third spine slightly shorter than 
last dorsal spine; longest soft anal subequal 
to longest soft dorsal ray; membrane extend- 
ing beyond tips of spines and notched half 
to two-thirds of distance to base before sec- 
ond and third spines. 
Pectoral rounded; inserted just below mid- 
line of side; lowest four to seven rays free in 
distal halves or three-quarters; lowest four 
rays with at least four branches each in all 
adults and sub-adults (over 40 mm.), next 
four rays with four or more branches each. 
Pelvics inserted before base of pectoral; 
spine subequal to longest dorsal spine; first 
ray bifid to basal third of spine, thickened, 
