1G34 Bulletin //, Lhiitcd States National Mnsenvi. 



2044. SPARISOMA AUEOFRENATUM (Cuvler & Valenciennes). 



Head 3i (4 with caudal); depth 2| (3i). D. IX, 10; A. II, 9; scales 

 2^24-6. Body elliptical-oliloug ; eye rather large, 4| in head ; snout not 

 blunt. If in head; cheek with a single row of 4 or 5 large scales; 4 scales 

 on median line before dorsal ; 3 before ventrals ; pores of lateral line much 

 branched, covering most of the scales. Pectoral reaching well past tips 

 of ventrals; caudal lin moderately lunate, the upper lobe the longer, If in 

 head, 1|^ times length of middle rays. Teeth less distinct than usual in 

 this type, the edge of the upper jaw nearly entire, the edge of the lower 

 jaw more uneven. A small canine in front of the angle of the mouth on 

 each side (this obsolete on both sides of 1 of the 3 specimens examined). 

 A small canine near suture of upjier jaw on both sides usually present; 

 upper lip covering more than \ of upper jaw. Color in life, purplish 

 brown, becoming reddish on sides, and tinally livid greenish below ; head 

 purplish-violet about eyes; sides of head with a stiipe of vivid scarlet 

 running from corner of mouth just below and slightly past eye, a second 

 short sti-eak of the same color above the first behind the eye; jaws pale 

 in color ; a golden-orange spot rather smaller than eye on and below the 

 fifth scale of the lateral line, its upper portion black; dorsal orange, slaty 

 at base posteriorly; caudal scarlet at base, then blood red, yellowish 

 in the center, whitish behind, the projecting tips of both lobes black, 

 the whole fin faintly mottled and barred with dusky; anal crimson, its 

 edge light blue; ventrals livid purplish; pectorals light yellowish, bluish 

 in axil, dusky at base in front. In spirits the orange and red colors fade 

 to light yellowish; a more or less distinct dark stripe on each row of scales 

 below the lateral line, paler on lower rows; pale greenish aboiit eyes; 

 dusky on snout above ; edge of scales on body above, and on sides more 

 or less dusky. Length of example described from Havana, 8^ inches. 

 West Indies ; rather common at Havana. Others examined are from Cuba, 

 Sombrero, St. Thomas, and St. Lucia. In color it is one of the most strongly 

 marked and handsomest species, (aurum, gold; frcenatus, bridled; in 

 allusion to the scarlet baud backward from the mouth, which is vermil- 

 ion rather than golden, for which reason Poey has substituted the name 

 miniofrenatns.) 



Scarus aurofrcnatus, Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xiv, 191, 1839, San 

 Domingo (Coll. Ricord) ; Gunther, Cat., iv, 212; Gcichenot, Scarides, Mua. Paris, 

 13, 1865; Cope, Trans. Am. Philos. Soc. 1871, 461. 



Scarus minio/renatus, Poet, Memorias, ii, 279, 393, 1860, Cuba. 



Sparisoma aurofrenatum, Jordan & Swain, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1884, 96; Jordan, 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1886, 47; Jordan, Review Labroid Fishes, 675, 1890. 



204... SPARISOMA OXTBRACHIITM (Poey). 



Head nearly 4; depth 3i; eye 4^ in head, If in snout, 1 in distance to 

 mouth. A small posterior canine on the right side; lower jaw roughest ; 

 line of belly less curved than in S. (listinctum; scales of lateral line with 

 3 branches. Caudal truncate ; pectoral sharp-pointed and very long, 5 in 

 total (6 in S. distinctum). Color brownish, without longitudinal streaks, 

 base of scales darker; lower parts yellowish, reddish in life; fins yellow- 



