FAMILY LAB RID AE — SCHULTZ 153 



Genus CHEILINUS Lacepede 



Cheilinus Lacepfede, Histoire naturelle des poissons, vol. 3, p. 529, 1802 (type 

 species, Cheilinus trilobatus Lacepfede, designated by Bonaparte, Icono- 

 graphia della fauna Italica . . ., vol. 3, Pesces, fasc. 30, 1841), 



This genus may be recognized by the following characters: Dorsal 

 rays IX or X, 8 to 10; anal 111,8; pectoral rays ii,10, lateral line pores 

 14 to 16+6 to 9, totaling 20 to 22 vertical scale rows, with 2 scales 

 above lateral line to base of first soft dorsal ray and 6 below to anal 

 origin; branched caudal fin rays 6+5; gill rakers about 12 to 16; inter- 

 orbital space convex; nostrils minute, anterior one a small tube; 

 jaws equal or nearly so; teeth short, conical, uniserial; tips of both 

 jaws with a pair of enlarged curved canines, upper jaw sometimes 

 with 2 pairs of canines, those of lower jaw fit between those of upper 

 jaw when mouth is closed; gill membranes broadly joined with a 

 broad free fold across isthmus; head scaled except snout, preorbital 

 space, and jaws; bases of median fins in a scaly sheath; lateral line 

 interrupted; edge of preopercle free posteriorly about as much as 

 ventrally. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF CHEILINUS 



la. Dorsal rays X,9 rarely X or XI,8; small white specks or spots on sides; 

 blackish spots and streaks on head and around eye. 



C. chlorourus (Bloch) 

 1&. Dorsal rays IX, 10 rarely X,9 (see table 98). 



2a. Head with distinct blackish or brownish streaks radiating from eye or 

 crossing cheek (probably blue when alive). 

 3a. On lower half of head 8 or 9 parallel black streaks extending at right 

 angles to 3 or 4 white streaks in front of and behind eye (when 

 alive, dark streaks are blue and white streaks are red). 



C. digrammus (LacepMe) 

 36. Radiating forward from eye 2 nearly parallel black streaks, behind 

 eye 2 more, a single one posterodorsally; each scale with a brownish 

 vertical spot (in large adults spot becomes a line, vertical white 

 lines (red when alive) occur on scales, and a large hump may de- 

 velop on forehead) C. iindulatus Riippell 



26. No dark streaks or lines ou head as in 2a. 



4a. Background coloration pale, with 6 or 7 black bars, about 3 scales 

 wide, on body and 2 black bars on caudal fin, white interspaces 

 2 scales wide ventrally, 1 wide dorsally (when alive, dark bands 

 are blackish and pale interspaces are light red, with pale spots 

 on fins and belly red); pale streaks (red when alive) radiating 



from eye C. fasciatus (Bloch) 



46. Color pattern not as in 4o. 

 5a. No bars on sides. 



6a. Dorsal surface of head with oblong white spots or short streaks; 

 3 or 4 white streaks radiate forward from eye on snout and 

 3 more posteriorly behind eye; about 3 white lines, narrower 

 than others, extend from eye partly across cheek; scales 

 on sides with broken reticulated dark lines and a more or 

 less distinct lateral band, composed of more intensified 



