REVIEW OF THE PARROTFISHES 89 



closer to symphysis than to corner of mouth; two canmes occur at 

 corner of upper jaw on both sides; caudal fin deeply concave. 



In alcohol, the background coloration is light brownish with a 

 greenish bar 2 or 3 scales wide across middle of body, more distinct 

 dorsally, and beginning under membranes between last two dorsal 

 spines and first soft ray; anal fin bright green in distal half, light 

 green to brownish basally; dorsal fin with distal edge green, remainder 

 of fin basally brownish or mottled green and pale; dorsal and basal 

 part of pectoral green, distally pale; caudal fin green, with a lunate 

 brown marking basally; upper lip broadly pale, then a broad green 

 band that extends to eye and joins a broad green blotch on area around 

 lower jaw; lower lip green, behind which is a pale area, then a broad 

 green area that extends to eye and a little behind eye; dorsal surface 

 of head and snout green spotted on a brownish background, 3 short 

 green streaks in front of eye and 3 behind. 



This species may be distinguished from other parrotfishes in the 

 genus by means of the keys ; it is characterized by having 6 or 7 median 

 predorsal scales, 3 rows of scales on the cheek, with 1 to 4 scales in 

 the ventral (third) row, ii, 13 pectoral rays, and a distinctive colora- 

 tion as shown in figure 24, above. It differs from all other members of 

 the subgenus Hemistoma in having a green vertical bar below middle of 

 base of dorsal fin. 



Scarus azureus Meek and Hildebrand 



Figure 16 



Scarus azureus Meek and Hildebrand, Marine fishes of Panama, vol. 3, p. 742, pi. 

 72, fig. 1, 1928 (type locality: Panama City market, Panama; holotype 

 USNM 81778). 



The color description by Meek and Hilebrand fits that of a speci- 

 men, 455 mm., from the Pearl Islands loaned by Dr. Boyd Walker, 

 University of California, Los Angeles : ". . . in life bluish, the margin 

 of scales on back and sides yellowish ; a blue bar across forehead from 

 eye to eye, thence backward, soon becoming indistinct; another blue 

 band extending from underneath eye to angle of mouth, thence 

 forward around tip of snout; a third blue band from back of angle of 

 mouth downward and forward across chin; dorsal and anal brick red, 

 with a narrow blue streak at base and on margin, caudal pinkish, 

 with upper and lower rays and posterior margin sky-blue, ventrals 

 pinkish; pectorals yellow, upper ray sky-blue; teeth pale." 



The general background color is greenish dorsally, pale or yellowish 

 ventrally with centers of scales green, and edges pale (yellowish or 

 pinkish); chin green; dorsal half of pectoral green otherwise pale; 

 caudal with outer rays green, center green, these green areas separated 



