2I2 PAPERS FROM TORTUGAS LABORATORY vol. xxxiv 



represented by scars. Counting standing teeth only, and including those at the 

 symphysis, there are 9 on the right and 11 on the left side. 



The species is poorly represented in collections and is little known. By Jordan, 

 Evermann, and Clark (Check list, 1930, p. 432) it is doubtfully referred to the 

 synonymy of Sparisoma chrysopterum, its specific resemblance to which is largely 

 confined to the possession of more projecting canines than other parrot fishes 

 have. The British Museum has a specimen from Tobago; the U. S. National 

 Museum, one from Dominica and another from the "West Indies." In the 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology are 2 specimens sent by Poey from Havana 

 under the manuscript name Scants brachyvarius and described by him without 

 name, as his no. 735, in the Enumeratio (1875, p. 113). 



This is one of the less common parrot fishes, though it was seen not rarely on 

 the reef on a calm day from a launch moving slowly. Its swimming phase is faded 

 green, but as often as it descends to the bottom and rests, it assumes a mottled 

 pattern of brown and verdigris, with bands showing under its chin. On rising to 

 swim, it resumes its previous coloring. 



Panama, and West Indies to Florida. W. H. L. 



Sparisoma chrysopterum (Bloch and Schneider) 



Scams chrysopterus Bloch and Schneider, Syst. ichth., 1801, p. 286, pi. 57 — American seas. 



Scarus lateralis Poey, Memorias, vol. 2, i860, p. 219 — Cuba. 



Scarus brachialis Poey, ibid., 1861, p. 345 — Cuba. 



Scarus maschalespilos Bleeker (part), Versl. Akad. Amsterdam, vol. 14, 1862, p. 127 — 



Surinam. 

 Sparisoma lorito Jordan and Swain, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 7, 1884, p. 95— Havana. 

 Sparisoma elongation Meek and Hildebrand, Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., vol. 15,. 



pt. 3, 1928, p. 757, pi. 74, fig. 2 — Panama City?, Panama. 



Sparisoma brachiale, S. lorito, and S. chrysopterum are names given growth 

 stages of one species. The types of Scants maschalespilos (in Leiden) are 2 small 

 fish, 217 and 244 mm. in total length and not, I think, of the same species. I take 

 the larger one to be young chrysopterum, and the other appears to be a young 

 flavescens. 



The type of S. brachiale (Mus. Comp. Zool. no. 14555) is a specimen 225 mm. 

 long. It has 2 small lateral canines on either side. In the same collection is another 

 of Poey's specimens, which at the length of 200 mm. lacks these projecting teeth. 



The type of S. lorito (U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 35082), which is 260 mm. long, has 

 3 canines on the right side and 1 on the left. 



Of Scarus lateralis, long recognized as a synonym of Sparisoma chrysopterum, 

 specimens sent by Poey to the Museum of Comparative Zoology range in length 

 from about 290 to 375 mm. The largest has 5 canines on one side and 3 on the 

 other, with 8 scars on the one and 9 on the other side, where canine teeth have 

 stood. 



Preserved specimens, too small to have developed canines and exserted caudal 

 lobes, are sometimes separable with difficulty from S. pachycephalum , but the 

 trimness of form, resulting from a slight compression of the head and the smooth- 

 ness of the curve from dorsal origin to tip of snout of S. chrysopterum, helps to 



