i 9 4i CATALOGUE OF FISHES OF TORTUGAS 2 0J 



male has a narrow blue line bordered behind by red, running from eye to mouth 

 in advance of its angle. None has been seen, however, in which there is any 

 suggestion of the dark caudal spots of C. ustus. Projecting lateral canines appear 

 in auropunctatus sometimes at least in fish not more than 140 mm. long, whereas 

 the record shows specimens of C. ustus of 154, 157, 158, 165, and 171 mm. with 

 none, and others of 168, 172, and 173 mm. with none, or with 1 or 2 on the side. 

 This northern species, as represented at Tortugas, seems scarcely to exceed 160 

 mm. in length. 



Green specimens were seined on the grass flats about Long Key and inside 

 Bird Key reef, and red ones trawled in 10-fathom channels, illustrating the com- 

 mon tendency of fish of the same kind to be, within limits, more ruddy in deeper 

 water. Both extremes of color are quickly replaced by browns and grays in the 

 somber surroundings of the laboratory aquarium. It is sometimes nearly mono- 

 chrome, except for its countershading, sometimes very strongly marked with 

 stripes (median, ocular, and pectoral), and sometimes mottled. All is fluid, and 

 changes take place according to the fish's activity and change in the hue of its 

 surroundings. 



Sometimes, but not regularly, C. auropunctatus buries itself in sand at night. 



Panama, West Indies, to Florida; sometimes straying northward. W. H. L. 



Sparisoma Swainson, 1839 



Dr. Longley examined many specimens in American and European museums. 

 Some of his accounts of the species of this genus he obviously had not finished, 

 as is shown by marginal notes. Several such notes concerned synonymy. As I do 

 not feel competent to complete them without making extensive studies of speci- 

 mens and the literature, for which neither the time nor facilities are at my 

 disposal, I have let the synonymy stand as prepared by him, except for the elimi- 

 nation of a few names which he himself had questioned, and which according 

 to my own studies cannot at this time be considered synonyms. 



Dr. Longley has a note on the examination of the type of Sparisoma strigatus 

 (Giinther, Cat. fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 4, 1862, p. 212), type locality unknown. This 

 species has been assigned, apparently erroneously, to the American fauna. In 

 addition to the type, from an unknown locality, Dr. Longley saw 4 specimens in 

 the British Museum, all from St. Helena. S. F. H. 



Sparisoma abildgaardi (Bloch). Red parrot fish 



(Plate 27, figures 1, 2; plate 28, figure 1) 



Sparns abildgaardi Bloch, Naturgesch. ausland. Fische, vol. 5, 1791, p. 22, pi. 259 — America. 

 Scams coccineus Bloch and Schneider, Syst. ichth., 1801, p. 289— Cuba (after Parra). 

 Sparus aureo-ruber Lacepede, Hist. nat. poiss., vol. 4, 1803, pp. 56, 163— Martinique (on 



drawing by Plumier). 

 Scarus ampins Ranzani, Nov. com. Acad. sci. inst. Bonon., vol. 5, 1842, p. 324, pi. 25 — 



Brazil. 



The red parrot fish, so called, is highly variable in coloration. It is sometimes 

 brown, changing gradually to red below, with the head, particularly above, 



