Revision of Plesiops — Inger 
271 
total gill rakers on first arch 9-14; two lowest 
pectoral rays with two branches each; stand- 
ard length under 70 mm.; opercle without 
ocellus; head and body without bluish or 
whitish spots; caudal black, usually with a 
faint, narrow, light crescentric band sub- 
marginally. 
Description: Dorsal XI, 6-7; pectoral 19-23; 
pelvic I, 4; anal III, 8; gill rakers 3-6 + 5-10; 
total length up to 79 mm.; standard length to 
61 mm.; head 2.48-2.90 (mean 2.61 ± 0.02; 
N = 27); depth 3.02-3.67 (mean 3.26 ± 
0.03; N = 24). 
Body compressed, oblong; dorsal profile 
convex; rostro-dorsal line feebly curved, form- 
ing 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, tabulated 
nostril; diameter of orbit subequal to its 
horizontal distance from end of preopercle, 
approximately twice interorbital width. 
Dorsal origin above pectoral base; fin 
bluntly pointed posteriorly; base of spinous 
portion two and one-half to three times length 
of soft dorsal; spines increasing in length 
gradually to last; first spine three-fourths sec- 
ond; second equal to eye diameter; last spine 
slightly less than post-orbital part of head; 
longest soft ray greater than distance between 
orbit and base of pectoral; membrane extend- 
ing beyond tips of spines; membrane incised 
to basal third along leading edge of second 
to sixth spines; the notch decreasing in depth 
posteriorly, finally reaching only one-fifth of 
distance to base before last spine. 
Anal origin opposite ninth or tenth dorsal 
spine; shape similar to that of dorsal; first 
spine half length of second, the latter about 
five-sixths the third; last spine about five- 
sixths length of last dorsal spine; longest soft 
ray equal to longest soft dorsal ray; membrane 
incised to basal third of second anal spine, 
scarcely notched before third spine. 
Pectoral rounded; inserted just below mid- 
line; lowest four to seven rays free from mem- 
brane in distal halves or three-quarters; three 
lowest rays each with two branches; next 
three to five rays with two to four branches 
each; largest specimens (ca. 50 mm.) some- 
times with five branches on each of several 
middle rays. 
Pelvics inserted opposite or slightly before 
pectoral base; spine longer than third anal 
spine; first ray thickened, bifid beyond level 
of center of spine, elongated, reaching second 
to fourth soft anal ray; three inner rays bifid, 
not thickened. 
Caudal rounded. 
Head naked on side to preopercle, naked 
above to point opposite end of preopercle or 
slightly before; cycloid scales covering pre- 
opercle, opercle, and nape; scales of preoper- 
cle in eight forwardly sloping oblique rows; 
five scales in horizontal series across widest 
part of preopercle; opercle with six large 
scales, each about twice depth of preoper- 
cular scales; scales above upper lateral line 
cycloid; occasionally two or three above end 
ctenoid; scales before line connecting fifth 
lateral line scale and upper end of pectoral 
base cycloid; scales below and anterior to line 
connecting lower end of pectoral base with 
anus cycloid; all other body scales ctenoid; 
anterior limit of ctenoid scalation on abdo- 
men sometimes extending forward two or 
three scale rows; about seven predorsals; anal 
and soft dorsal with low sheath of cycloid 
scales. 
Coloration (in alcohol) dark brown or 
black; some of body scales with dark tips; 
a squarish black bar at upper posterior corner 
and a second at center of posterior border of 
orbit, neither reaching preopercle; a narrow 
black stripe from below center of orbit, run- 
ning above maxilla to its end; occasionally 
a few small black spots along border of pre- 
opercle; ventrally gill membranes black; fins 
blackish; anteriorly basal third of dorsal fin 
black followed distally by a narrow clear line, 
a slightly wider dusky band, and a broader 
