Jordan and Evcnnann. — Fishes of North Amoica. 1627 



maxillary 3J ; eye 2\ in snout. Teeth pointed, iiubricated in qninounx 

 order, both tips and edges wholly free, the anterior face convex, the pos- 

 terior face alone adnate to the dental plate ; of equal size and similar in 

 both jaws, there being- 3 or 4 teeth in an oblique cross series anteriorly, 

 about 12 of these series in the upper jaw, and 14 in the lower; 2 teeth in 

 the upper jaw at the angle of the mouth are conical and curved downward 

 and backward. Scales on cheek in a single series, 3 or 4 in number; 4 

 scales on median line before the dorsal tin, the anterior one encroaching 

 on occiput ; scales on breast not reduced, 3 on median line before ventrals, 

 1+ series of scales between lateral line and dorsal, the \ series forming 

 a sheath along base of fin. Dorsal spines rather high and flexible, the 

 origin of the tin over base of pectorals; caudal deeply lunate, the outer 

 rays produced, \ longer than the middle rays, 1^ in head; none of the ven- 

 tral rays elongate, the tin reaching about halfway to vent, li in head; 

 pectorals with wide oblique base, the free margin of fin somewhat 

 /- shaped, the uj^per angle acute, the lower rounded, the longest ray 1^ in 

 head; origin of ventral spine under middle of pectoral base. Color mot- 

 tled silvery, slaty, and brown, without definite pattern; top of head and 

 snout dusky ; pectorals black at base ; ventrals dusky at tip ; dorsal and 

 anal black on basal half, mottled distally; caudal mottled, narrowly 

 edged behind with white. Two specimens from Socorro IsLmd, the long- 

 est 14 inches long. (Gilbert.) (^fVoj, strange ; 66" ot)?, tooth.) 



Calotomus xenodon, Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1890, 70, Socorro Island (Coll. Alba- 

 tross) ; Jordan, Keview Labroid Fishes, 667, 1890. 



648. SPARISOMA, Swainson. 



(YlE.TAS.) 



Sparisonia, Swainson, K"at. Hist. Class. Fisbes, etc., u, 227, 1839 {aldldgaardi) . 



Scarus, Bleeker, Versl. Akad. Wet. Amsterdam, xn, Scaroid, 3, 1861 (cretensis; not of 



Forskal). 

 jBwscarMS, Jordan & Evermann, Check-List, 416, 1896 (cretensis). 



Lower pharyngeal broader than long, subhexagonal, its surface moder- 

 ately concave or flatfish; teeth in each jaw largely coalesceut in adult, 

 their tips more or less separate in the youug, the edge, especially of the 

 lower jaw, remaining uneven ; the median suture in each jaw present, but 

 not well defined; 1 to 4 radiating canines sometimes present on each side 

 of upper jaw above its cutting edge; ^ .gill membranes broadly united to 

 the isthmus; dorsal spines jiungent; upper lip double for its entire length ; 

 lower jaw projecting beyond upper; lateral line not interrupted, passing 

 gradually from its row of scales posteriorly to the series next below it; 

 lubes of lateral line much branched; scales about head large, those on 

 iheek in a single row, those on the median line in front of dorsal 3 or 4 in 

 number. Species of rather small size, most of them American; some of 

 them showily colored. Sparisoma cretensis (Linnieus) the Scarus (dndpo^) 

 of the ancients is the only member of this family found in Europe. It is 



* In some species having normally 1 or more canine teeth, some or all of them are 

 occasionally absent, on one or both sides. 



