FAMILY SCARIDAE — SCHULTZ 239 



Family SCARIDAE: Parrotfishes 

 By Leonard P. Schultz 



This family may be recognized by the following combination of 

 characters: Teeth coalesced, forming two dental plates in each jaw, 

 each pair separated at the middle by a suture; externally canines or 

 incisorlike teeth present or absent; gill membranes broadly joined 

 to the isthmus, with or without a free fold across isthmus; scales on 

 cheek in 1 to 4 rows; median predorsal scales 3 to 8; lateral line follows 

 contour of back to below rear edge of base of dorsal fin then drops 

 1 or 2 scale rows, continuing along midaxis of caudal peduncle, the 

 number of pores being rather constantly 17 to 20 in dorsal lateral 

 line and 5 to 7 in peduncular lateral line (the usual number of pores is 

 18 + 5 or 6); dorsal rays IX,10; anal 111,9, the anal spines slender, 

 the first one weakly developed; pectoral rays ii,ll to ii,15; branched 

 caudal rays 6 + 5; fins naked, except that basal part of median fins 

 may have a row of scales; upper pharyngeal bones paired, each 

 dentigerous surface with 1 to 3 rows of molarlike teeth; lower pharjm- 

 geal bone single, bearing rows of molarlike teeth; vertebrae always 25. 



Since the family Scaridae was reviewed by me (U. S. Nat. Mus. 

 Bull. 214, 1958) I am shortening this report by not duplicating here 

 the material presented in that bulletin, except the generic and sub- 

 generic keys and the family and subfamily diagnoses. The identi- 

 fication of species of parrotfishes is so difficult that to distinguish 

 species one needs all the information presented in Bulletin 214, which 

 includes a list of synonyms for each species and other important 

 references. 



Subsequent to publication of Bulletin 214 (see p. 48) it has been 

 determined that Scarus ovifrons Temminck and Schlegel (Fauna 

 japonica, poissons, p. 173, pi. 8S, 1846, type locality, Japan) should 

 replace Scarus oedema (Snyder), the latter being a synonym of S. 

 ovifrons. 



KEY TO THE GENERA AND SUBGENERA OF SCARIDAE 

 la. Cheek with 2 to 4 (4 in one Atlantic species) rows of scales below eye, second 

 row may be represented by one scale; teeth fully coalesced into a parrot- 

 like beak, with median suture at symphysis of each jaw; edge of dental 

 plate of lower jaw included in that of upper jaw when mouth is closed; 

 pectoral rays normally ii,12 to ii,15; dentigerous surface of lower pharyn- 

 geals longer than broad; gill membranes broadly joined to isthmus 

 without a free fold across isthmus. Subfamily Scarinae. 

 2a. Each upper pharyngeal bone (pi. 108, D) with a single enlarged row of 

 teeth, no rudimentary row along base of the enlarged row except on 

 small specimens of subgenus Xenoscarops; gill rakers of iBrst giU arch 

 6 to 21+21 to 38. (Indo-Pacific.) Genus Scarops Schultz 



