86 BULLETIN 214, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Scarus chlorodon Jenyns 



Figure 15; Plate 17,b,c 



Scarus chlorodon Jenyns, Zoology of the voyage of H. M. S. Beagle, pt. 4, Fish, 

 p. 105, pi. 21, 1842 (tj'^pe locality: Keeling Island, Indian Ocean; type ex- 

 amined in British Museum, Cat. No. 1918.1.31.12, standard length 345 mm., 

 skin). 



Scarus xanthopleura Bleeker, Nat. Tijdschr. Nederl.-Indie, vol. 4, p. 499, 1853 

 (type locality: Java; type examined in British Museum, Cat. No. 1864.5.15. 

 43, standard length 360 mm.). 



Pseudoscarus xanthopleura Bleeker, Atlas ichthyologique - . . , vol. 1, p. 24, 

 pi. 7, fig. 1, 1862. 



Pseudoscarus altipinnis Steindachner, Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, vol. 41, 

 p. 18, 1879 (type locality : Kingsmill Island). — Gunther, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 

 vol. 8, p. 326, pi. 160, 1909 (Yap, Ponape, Ruk, Hervey Islands, Pomotous). 



Callyodon waitei Seale, Occ. Pap. Bishop Mus., vol. 4, No. 1, p. 60, fig. 15, 1906 

 (type locality: Tahiti). 



Pseudoscarus godeffroyi Giinther, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, vol. 8, p. 326, pi. 169, 

 1909 (type locality: Society Islands). 



This species is characterized by 6 or 7 median predorsal scales; 3 

 rows of scales on the cheek, with 1 to 3 scales in the ventral row; 

 usually ii,13 pectoral fin rays; green teeth; dorsal and anal fins with 

 distal % blue or green, and basal % dark, these colors separated by a 

 dark line. In green color phase it has characteristic light orange and 

 dark green bars and bands on the head as shown in our figure 15 

 (see p. 43) and plate 17,b,c. Another characteristic is the elongate 

 dorsal ray of large adults. Bleeker 's (1862) plate 7, of Pseudoscarus 

 xanthopleura presents a color pattern that is somewhat diagrammatic 

 but is close to a specimen, 185 mm., in the National collection. Giin- 

 ther's (1909) plate 160, of P. altipinnis, is a much better illustration 

 of the color pattern. Especially characteristic of the caudal fin is the 

 yellowish to orange posterior margin and the green border to the 

 dorsal and ventral edges. 



The lips do not cover the greenish teeth, the angle between edges of 

 upper and lower lips varies from 20 degrees in young to 60 degrees in 

 adults; the inner lip joins the outer lip a httle closer to symphysis 

 than to corner of mouth ; canine teeth vary from to 2 or 3 on the upper 

 jaw but are probably lacking on lower jaw; usually two canine teeth at 

 corner of mouth on upper jaw of large specimens, but none on lower 

 dental plate; distal margin of caudal fin truncate at 185 mm. in 

 standard length, the outer rays becoming greatly elongate in large 

 adults ; the dorsal fin has the last dorsal spine and first soft raj^ greatly 

 elongate in adults 285 to 390 mm., these two rays beginning to elongate 

 at a length of about 185 mm. 



In alcohol, specimens in the "green" color phase have a reddish 

 brown background coloration; the caudal fin is brownish, with the 



