REVIEW OF THE PARROTFISHES 45 



Fi(;nRE 18. — Scarus californiensis, 455 ram. In standard length. (Sketch by author.) 



40a. Four or five light and dark vertical bars on dorsal 

 part of sides and on back; dorsal part of 

 head dark, abruptly paler below a line 

 extending from corner of mouth to lower edge 

 of eye, thence to rear of opercle opposite 

 dorsal edge of pectoral base; lips cover or 

 nearly cover the teeth; plates 3,b, and 18,a. 

 (Central and West Pacific, Indian Ocean.) 



scaber Cuvier and Valenciennes 

 40&. The dark back broken by two or sometimes three 

 light yellowish bars that slant forward as they 

 pass ventrally; dorsal part of head dark, 

 abruptly paler below level of lower edge of 

 eye, thence to angle of opercle above pectoral 

 base; plate 18,b. (Central and West Pacific, 

 Indian Ocean.) 



oviceps Cuvier and Valenciennes 

 396. Body not marked with light and dark vertical bars. 

 41a. Background coloration dark brown or brownish, 

 the margins of dorsal and anal fins pale or 

 whitish (bright blue when alive), contrasting 

 sharply with the dark brown basal Yt, or more 

 of those fins, the inner edge of this whitish 

 margin is set off with a dark line; edges of 

 both hps pale, upper one broadly so; teeth 

 green, olive in alcohol. 

 42a. Background plain dark brown; usually a pale 

 spot (greenish when alive) occurs on the 

 lateral line scale at upper edge of gill open- 

 ing; cheek plain brownish; figure 19; plate 

 18,c. (Central and West Pacific, Indian 



Ocean.) niger Forsk§,l 



426. Background coloration brown with numerous 

 dark violet horizontal streaks on sides; 

 lower side of head with bright green spots, 

 pale in alcohol; plate 18,d. (Western 

 Indian Ocean.) 



madagascariensis (Steindachner) 



