1560 Bulletin //, United States National Museum. 



624. ABUDEFDUF,- Forskal. 



(PiNTAXOS.) 



Ahudefduf, ForskIl, Deacr. Anim., etc., 59, 1775 (sordidus). 

 Glyphisodon, Lacepede, Uist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 542, 1803 (moucharra). 

 Euschistodus, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila. 1862, 145 (declivifrons) . 

 Glyphidodon, corrected spelling. 



Body deep, compressed, covered with large ctenoid scales; snout with, 

 out scales; preopercle and preorbital entire, the lower limb of preopercle 

 scaleless ; 3 to 4 rows of scales between lateral line and dorsal; teeth com- 

 pressed, fixed, more or less distinctly emarginate, in 1 series in each 

 jaw, those below occupying most of the free edge of the jaw; jaws sub- 

 equal. Dorsal usually with 13 spines, the last slightly shorter than the 

 median ones ; branchiostegals 5 or 6 ; pyloric cteCii 3. Lower pharyngeals 

 triangular. Species numerous; often brightly colored ; al)out coral reefs 

 in the tropical si-as. We exclude from this genus all the species formerly 

 referred to Glijpli'ulodon, iu which the teeth are in more than 1 series, 

 and also those in which the snout is scaly, or the lower pharyngeals not 

 triangular. For these forms different generic names, Hemif/Jyphidodon, 

 AmbJiiglyphidodon, G lyphidodontops, etc., have been defined by Bleeker. 

 The genus Stegastcs Jeuyns (imiricatus) is also very close to Ahudefduf , 

 but it seems to have entire teeth, and the snout and fins are densely scaly. 

 The genus Nedilarius is less closely related to Ahudrfduf. 



{abu-defduf, Arabic t jiame of the type of the genus, Cliwtodon sordidus t 

 Forskal.) 



I. Preopercle entire. 



Glyphisodon (yAu^is, incised; oSovs, tooth): 



a. Preorbital very narrow, its least breadtli less than pnpil, even in adult: anterior 



profile of liead nearly straight, the snout rather atute ; dorsal spines 13 ; anal 



witli about 12 soft rays. 



b. Scales about 4-30-11; green, with about 6 dark-blue or blackish cross bands; 



depth IJ to 2 iu length ; anal rays II, 12. saxatilis, 1973. 



* There seems to be no good reason, except its odd form, for rejecting the Arabic name 

 given by Finskril to this genus. Tlie diagnosis given by this excellent autlior is very 

 pertinent. :niil Mif ba.sisof the name is the same as that of Acanthurus. Under the head 

 of Clui'toddii. iMMskiil observes: 



■'Genus hor subdivisionem admittit: (a) CHtETODON: dentibus tiliformibus, brevibus, 

 numerosis, multorum ordiuum, densis, acutis. iuttrioribus stiisini niiimiibus. P. Br. 

 radiisC. Spina' P. A. 3. (h) Abu-DEFDUF: deutibusuiaxillaribus uuius iniri. lililoiniibus, 

 contiguis, submobilibus, obtusis; dentibus fauciuni uullis: annub) snhtus ciica (jcuIos. 

 P. Br. rad. 5. Spiuic P. A. 2. (c) Acanthueus: dentibus uuius lerioi, li.uidis, aculi.-i, con- 

 tiguis, vel limplicibus vcl lobatis. Cauda in utroque latere aculco uuo vel pluribus ; 

 ex'sorto et rigido; vcl mobili et recondendo. Divisium prorsus a Chajtodonte genus; 

 aliquande propriam cDUStitiieiis familiam." 



Abude/diif tlius corresponds in general to the family Poviacentridce, as Acanthurus to 

 the Teuihiididce, and it rests on the same basis as the latter name. Probably Forskal in- 

 tended to furnish each genus with a classical name. In the publication of Forskal's 

 posthumous notes, his editor, Carsten Niebuhr, neglected to do this, and apparently we 

 have no alternative but to take Abudefdvf as its autlior left it instead of the later G'ly2)h- 

 isodon. 



tThe name "Abu-defduf," according to Dr. Cyrus Adler, seems to mean " Father (i. e., 

 possessor) of sides." It would indicate a tish or an animal whose sides or flanks are 

 prominent. To analyze it ; "aba " means father, and " def," side or flank. The redupli- 

 cation, " defduf," is a sort of an intensive plural. 



t Abude/duf sordidus is a species with broad preorbital and anal fin with 13 to 15 soft 

 rays. 



