1628 Bulletin ^"j, United States Natmial Ahiseinn. 



an ally of Sparisoma jiarescens. We begin the group with the smallest 

 and most generalized forms, those whose dentition approaches nearest to 

 CryptotoniHS and its Labroid ancestors. (dTtdpos, Spams, ancient name of 

 some Sparoid lish ; dco/-ia, body. Spams is said to be from dnaipoo, I gasp. ) 



Sparisoma : 

 a. Upper jaw with oue or more canines above ita cutting edge (these occasionally obso- 

 lete on one or both sides) ; coloration often brilliant. 

 h. Caudal truncate or slightly rounded, the angles not acute, 

 c. Posterior canines 2 to 4 on each side. 



d. Caudal fin with more or less of black on posterior margin, yellowish at 



base; anal light bluish and reddish, its tip dusky; canines strong, 



4 (rarely '.i) on each side; 4 or 5 scales on cheek. Color olive green 



.above, mottled and speckled with red ; snout with blue Hues ; a blue 



band around lower jaw; axil and base of pectoral deep blue-black: 



tins mostly light orange and yellow xystrodon, 2039. 



dd. Caudal flu without black in the adult; 1 or 2 more or less distinct 



whitish bars across the chin. 



e. Canines 3 or 4 on each side, radiating horizontally ; axil with little 



or no blue, but with a dusky blotch partly hidden by the fin ; 



front steeper and less curved than in hoplomystax; body and 



tins mottled, but much less so than in hoplomystax. 



/. Canines 3 on each side; pores of lateral line with but 2 



branches ; sides of head much dotted with black ; caudal 



barred. atomarium, 2040. 



ff. Canines4on each side; tubes of lateral line much branched; 



a distinct narrow streak of blue downward and forward 



from eye; caudal nearly plain, dusky olive; anal mot 



tied. radian.s, 2041. 



ee. Canines 2 or 3 on each side; axillary region extensively deep 



blue in life, this forming a large blotch around and on base 



of pectoral; a curved series of small white specks around 



the blue on base of pectoral; body deep and robust; flns all 



mottled, the anal with 3 darker areas; body with 3 faint pale 



lengthwise streaks, more or less obscure; 2 of these bound 



a more or less interrupted dusky band from eye to base of 



caudal. hoplomystax, 2042. 



cc. Posterior canine single on each side ; body rather stout. Color grayish 



olive, closely speckled with whitish and dusky ; lower half of body 



abruptly paler from level of eye; upper half with a narrow whitish 



stripe confluent with the back from nape to end of dorsal ; the part of 



back below this crossed by irregular dusky bars which end abruptly at 



level of eye; lower half with obscure pale lengthwise streaks; a black 



spot as large as pupil on end of opercle ; axil and base of pectoral dark ; 



dorsal gray, throughout mottled with pale and vaguely barred and 



spotted with blackish; caudal dark olive, with narrow pale cross bars; 



abroad olive cross bar at base; anal colored like soit dorsal; ventral 



faintly barred ; pectoral plain ; chin with 2 broad silvery cross bars, and 



2 irregular bars of dark olive. niphobles, 2043. 



6b. Caudal tin simjily lunate, the outer rays more or less exserted, but not twice as 



long as the inner rays and much shorter than the head; canine single on 



each side (rarely obsolete or duplicated). 



g. Head with a scarlet stripe from below eye to angle of mouth ; a small 



scarlet streak hehind eye; color chieflj- purplish brown; a round spot 



of yellow and black behind head, just below lateral line; fins chiefly 



red; angles of caudal black; axillary spot obscure. 



AUROFRENATUM, 2044. 



