28 BULLETIN 214, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



abrupt change to dark background occurs on the scale row below 

 anterior lateral line; anterior and posterior edges of scales with a 

 blackish bar, and center of scales with one to three or more blackish 

 spots; ventral part of head behind mouth black spotted; a row of black 

 spots, one on each scale of anterior lateral line, occurs on its posterior 

 half; pectoral pale; other fins dusky. 



When alive, juveniles have a pinkish background coloration, with 

 the bar on the head brick red; the iris is bright red, the distal margin 

 of caudal fin has a red transverse band, the black spot on the spiny 

 dorsal is bordered with orange, and the fins are light pinkish. Half- 

 grown specimens have a background coloration that is pinkish dorsally 

 and light purplish ventrally; the dorsal spot is purplish black bordered 

 by orange; the caudal fin is reddish and the eye red; the pectoral and 

 pelvic fins are reddish yellow; the anal is yellowish distally, its distal 

 edge is margined with a gray streak, and basally it has reddish areas 

 on the membranes between the rays; the distal edge of the orange 

 dorsal fin is gray. Adults have a background coloration reddish brown 

 dorsally and purplish brown ventrally; all fins brown except the pec- 

 toral, which is pinkish; the iris red; and on the scales blackish spots 

 that may number as many as a dozen on largest adults. 



I have studied specimens in lots from the following localities: 

 Samoa, 1 lot; Marshall Islands, 14; Okinawa, 1; Philippines and 

 vicinity, 17; Kapingamarangi Atoll, 2; Tuomotu Islands, 1; and 

 If aluk Atoll, 11. 



Chlorurus pulchellus (Riippell) 



Plates 1,c; 6,c 



Scarus pulchellus Riippell, Neue Wirbelthiere zu der Fauna von Abyssinien gehorig, 



Fische, p. 25, pi. 8, fig. 3, 1835 (type locality: Red Sea). 

 Pseudoscarus pulchellus Bleeker, Atlas ichthyologique . . . , vol. 1, p. 34, pi. 10, 



fig. 3, 1862. 

 Cetoscarus pulchellus, J. L. B. Smith, Rhodes Univ. Ichthy. Bull. No. 1, p. 17, 



pi, 43,E, 1956 (East African coast south to lat. 14° S.). 



This species is distinguished by its characteristic color pattern; the 

 small number of gill rakers, about 6 or 7 + 12 to 15, totaling about 20 

 to 23; the three rows of teeth on each upper pharyngeal bone; the 

 3 rows of scales on the cheek, with 5 or 6 scales in the ventral (third) 

 row; 5 or 6 median predorsal scales, and ii,12 pectoral fin rays. In 

 adults the preorbital distance is contained about 2% times in that of 

 head. 



The lips do not cover the white teeth and the angle between their 

 edges is about 25 degrees; the inner and outer upper lips are fused so 

 that only a rudiment of inner lip may occur near corner of mouth; 



