Jordan and Evertnann. — Fishes of North America. 1191 



spine, nearly as long as head, about equal to ventrals; third anal spine 

 longest, as long as longest of dorsal ; gill rakers short and slender, x-(- 12. 

 Length 6 to 12 inches. West Indies, north to the Florida Keys on rocky 

 shores; not recorded from Brazil; locally common and excessively vari- 

 able as indicated above. Only the form called nifjricans thus far recorded 

 from the United States. Length about a foot, {unicolor, uniformly col- 

 ored ; a most inappropriate name even for the typical form ) Coloration 

 extremely various, the following being the nominal species or varieties 

 thus far described : 



a. Soft dorsal iheckered or spotted with pale blue or crossed l>y liliio lines (these occasionally 

 obsolete). 

 b. Body dusky, the head and belly orange, the top of the head olivaceous; a black spot 

 on each side of caudal peduncle close behind dorsal; black band or spot in front 

 of eye not bordered by blue; cheeks, opercle and breast with vertical lines of 

 metallic blue; dorsal yellowish; pectoral and caudal orange; a black spot in the 

 axil; upper margin of pectoral blue; anal orange with blue border; ventral 

 greenish, its base orange. unicolob (=5iacui.ifeuus), 1580. 



hh. Body all violet with 5 or G more or less distinct black cross bands, the middle one broad- 

 est, covering the space from the fourth to the tenth dorsal spine and meeting its 

 fellow under the belly; the baud at the nape broad and saddle-like, bounded by 2 

 pale cross streaks on nape, opercle, and cheeks; snout jxile, a pale shaile across it; 

 ventrals pale or dark; other fins, except spinous dorsal, mostly pale. Pores 60; 

 8 series above lateral line. 

 c. Cheek with a blue band befo e eye and some blue spots before it. puella, 1580a. 

 cc. Cheek without blue band; no blue spots on snout; colorsduller. vitulixus, 15806. 

 bbb. Body and head yellow anteriorly; body abruptly black posteriorly, the back extending 

 forward to a wavy line reaching from first dorsal spine to vent; a broad dark-blue 

 liuiid in front of eye, bordered by sky blue; fins chiefly orange; ventral and anal 

 bordered by sky blue. pinnavabius, 1580c. 



aa. Soft dorsal plain, without distinct blue lines or spots. 



d. Preorbital region with 1 or more dark-blue stripes, bordered by bright sky blue (not 



fading in spirits). 



e. Body yellow anteriorly, black posteriorly, the black extending forward to a line 



joining the nape and last anal ray; fins orange; a single blue-black stripe or 



spot in front of eye, ocellated with sky blue; caudal peduncle very dark above. 



Cl'TTAVABIUS, 1.580(f. 



ee. Body all orange yellow, fins orange; snout and lower jaw blue; 2 blue stripes,. each 



bordered with sky blue, before the eye. r,UMMiGi:TTA, 1.5S0e. 



eee. Body saffron yellow, orange posteriorly; snout with blue streaks and some blue 



()i,ts. cuocoTus, 1580/. 



dd. Preorbital region without blue stripes; scales usually (?) smaller; pores (15, 11 series 



above lateral line. 



/. Preorbital region with violet spots; a round black spot on side of caudal peduncle; 



dorsal light greenish; body light olive green above, reddish below; pectorals 



pale yellow, the first ray blue; ventrals, anal, and caudal light orange. 



ABERB.VNS, laSOg. 

 ff. Preorbital region without distinct violet spots. 



rj. General color blackish, brown, or yellowish— not indigo blue. 



h. Color brownish, the middles of the front of body yellowish; fins all yellow 



except the ventrals, which are black. accensi's, 15807/. 



hh. Color yellowish pink; caudal and pectorals pale; ventrals and anal bright 



light blue. AFFiNis, 1580t. 



gg. Color of body bl.ack with violet shades. 



I. Pectoral and caudal fins abruptly bright yellow. cni.oiHiRUS, 158()). 



a. Pectoral and caudal fins violet black like the rest of the body. 



NIGRICANS, 1.580i. 



