Chromides and Pharyngognathi 



393 



ancients, is found in the Mediterranean, being the only member 

 of the family known in Europe and the only Sparisoma known 

 from outside the West Indian fauna. 



Other West Indian species are the red parrot-fish, Sparisoma 

 abildgaardi, Sparisoma xystrodon, Sparisoma hoplomystax, the 

 last two being small species about the Florida Keys, and the 

 handsome Sparisoma viride from the West Indies. 



Scarus is the great central genus of parrot-fishes. Its mem- 

 bers are especially abundant in Polynesia and the East Indies, 

 the center of distribution of the group, 

 although some extend their range to 

 western Mexico, Japan, the Red Sea, and 

 Australia, and a large number are found 

 in the West Indies. Most of them are 

 fishes of large size, but a few, as the West 

 Indian Scarus croicensis, reach the length 

 of less than a foot, and other still smaller 

 species (Scarus evermanni, Scarus boll- 

 mani) are found only in water of consider- 

 able depth (200 fathoms). 



The genus Scarus is characterized by 

 not only the almost complete fusion of its 

 teeth, but by numerous other characters. 



Its lower pharyngeals are oblong and spoon-shaped, the teeth 

 appearing as a mosaic on the concave surface. The gill-mem- 



FIG. 328. Jaws of Blue 

 Parrot-fish, Scarus coeru- 

 kus (Bloch). 



FIG. 329. FJG. 330. 



FIG. 329. Upper pharyngeals of an Indian Parrot-fish, Scarus strongylocephalus. 

 FIG. 330. Lower pharyngeals of a Parrot-fish, Scarus strongylocephalus (Bleeker). 



branes are scarcely united to the narrow isthmus, the lateral 

 line is interrupted, the dorsal spines are flexible, and there 



