Jordan and Eveimann. — Fishes of North America. 1639 



Subgenus EUSCARUS, Jordan & Evermann. 



•2051. SPARIS03IA STRIGATUM (Giiutlier). 



Upper jaw without posterior lateral canines. Scales of the lateral line, 

 those on the nape, and a few on the opercles, black shining violet; dor- 

 sal spines stout, the anterior not much longer than the orbit. General 

 color olive (in spirits); outer parts of the vertical fins violet; posterior 

 part of the axil blackish violet. (Giinther.) Locality unknown. As the 

 genus Sparisoma is chietly confined to American waters, we include this 

 species in the present paper as probably American, {strujatun, striped.) 



Scams strigatus, GOnther, Cat., iv, 212, 1862, locality unknown. 

 Sparisoma strigatum, Jordan, Review Labroid Fishes, 071, 1890. 



2052. SPARISOMA FLAVESCEXS (Bloch ct Schneider). 

 (Mud Parrot; Vieja Colorada; Vieja Muger.) 



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

 2^-24-6; eye 5^ in head; snout 2f. Body oblong; no canine teeth; upper 

 lip covering most of upper jaw; eye rather small; snout bluntish; cheek 

 with a single series of about 5 large scales; tubes of lateral line dividing 

 into about 5 branches, covering most of the scale; 4 scales on median line 

 before dorsal ; pectoral fin reaching past tips of veutrals ; origin of ventral 

 spine under middle of pectoral base; caudal fin slightly lunate, the upper 

 lobe longer and narrower than the lower, IJ in head; the prolongation of 

 the outer rays varies somewhat and is greatest in the adult; the concavity 

 of the fin is evident in specimens 3 inches long, but in the very young the 

 fin is truncate or even slightly convex. A few specimens of 6 to 8 inches 

 are in the collection in which the caudal fin appears fairly truncate when 

 spread open, the angles remaining acute. In most ca.ses, however, the fin 

 is slightly concave. Color of adult in, life, olivaceous, somewhat clouded 

 with light and dark, and usually tlushed with i)inkish, especially below, the 

 edges of the scales more yellow olive ; scales of belly and lower parts light 

 orange red toward their bases, giving a decidedly reddish cast; dorsal 

 mottled with ditterent shades of olive; caudal creamy, mottled and barred 

 with darker orange, the markings more distinct on the outer edge ; veutrals 

 and anal rich cherry red, mottled and barred with brown; pectorals light 

 orange red, the color formed by narrow orange cross streaks on a paler 

 ground; alight band across lower jaw, which is otherwise brown; teeth 

 white; a dusky or black blotch at base of pectoral; sometimes blackish 

 spots on the scales at the base of the soft dorsal. In spirits the red of body 

 and fins and yellow on scales become i^ale. Young individuals have small, 

 bright, rosy spots on sides of back; 2 faint, darker, longitudinal shades 

 along side. Length of specimen described (Key West) 7^ inches. West 

 Indies ; Key West to Rio .Janeiro, everywhere the commonest species of the 

 genus. This species is excessively common at Kej^ West, swarming every- 

 where about the island in the eelgrass. It rarely exceeds a foot in length. 

 At Havana it is apparently equally common, the numbers seen in the mar- 

 ket exceeding that of all other species combined. It is one of the least 

 brightly colored of the species of the genus. As a food-fish, this, like the 

 others, is held in low esteem. The flesh, although not unpleasant in 



