130 BULLETIN 214, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



This genus is distinguished from all other genera in the subfamily 

 Sparisomatinae by having 5 median predorsal scales instead of 4, 

 otherwise it has the same characters as the genus Sparisoma. It 

 occurs only in the East Atlantic and the Mediterranean. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF THE GENUS EUSCARUS 



la. A distinct blackish or dark brown blotch just behind head above pectoral 

 and below lateral line; tip of opercular flap blackish; caudal fin with 

 the distal border pale; the smaller specimens may lack the black shoulder 

 spot, but are generally red when alive; plate 26,d. (East Atlantic and 

 Mediterranean.) cretensis (Linnaeus) 



1&. No dark shoulder spot; a series of blackish or dark brown scales along 

 lateral line sometimes interrupted fore or aft; a white triangular spot 

 behind mouth; underside of head and snout dark brown; plate 26,a. 

 (St. Helena, East Atlantic.) strigatus (Gunther) 



Euscarus cretensis (Linnaeus) 



Plates 4,c; 26,d 



Lahrus cretensis Linnaeus, System naturae, ed. 10, vol. 1, p. 474, 1758 (type 



locality; Madeira, Canary Islands). 

 Scarus cretensis Cuvier and Valenciennes, Histoire naturelle des poissons, vol. 14, 



p. 164, pi. 400, 1839 (Canary Islands). 

 Scarus rubiginosus Cuvier and Valenciennes, Histoire naturelle des poissons, vol. 



14, p. 171, 1839 (type locality: Canary Islands; 3 types in bad condition 



examined in Paris Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat. Cat. No. 1774). 

 Scarus canariensis Valenciennes, Ichthyologie des lies Canaries . . . , vol. 2, p. 68, 



pi. 17, fig. 2, 1836 (type locality: Canary Islands). 

 Scarus mutabilis Lowe, (not of Gray 1854) Trans. Zool. Soc. London, vol. 2, p. 187, 



1841 (type locality; Madeira). 



I have studied specimens in lots from the following localities: 

 Canary Islands, 1 ; Madeira, 3 ; Azores, 1 . 



Euscarus strigatus (Giinther) 



Plate 26,a 



Scarus strigatus Giinther, Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum . . . , 

 vol. 4, p. 212, 1862 (no locahty given but type locality is St. Helena; holotype 

 examined in British Museum, No. 4: 212). 



The following notes were made on the holotype and 4 additional 

 specimens, in the British Museum, of this species, which is known 

 only from St. Helena. Upper pharyngeals in 2 main rows, with an 

 outer rudimentary row, the inner main row doesnotinterdigitate with 

 that of opposite side; 7 teeth in middle rows of lower pharyngeals. 

 Black isolated scales occur on opercle, below eye on cheek along lateral 

 line with additional ones scattered on body; caudal fin truncate to 

 rounded. 



I have studied 5 specimens from St. Helena. 



