Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1191 



spine, nearly as long as head, about equal to ventrals ; third anal spine 

 longest, as long as longest of dorsal ; gill rakers short and slender, x-f- 12. 

 Length 6 to 12 inches. West Indies, north to the Florida Keys on rocky 

 shores ; not recorded from Brazil ; locally common and excessively vari- 

 able as indicated above. Only the form called niyricans thus far recorded 

 from the United States. Length about a foot. (unicolor, uniformly col- 

 ored ; a most inappropriate name even for the typical form ) Coloration 

 extremely various, the following being the nominal species or varieties 

 thus far described : 



. Soft dorsal checkered or spotted with pale blue or crossed by blue lines (these occasionally 



obsolete). 



b. Body dusky, the head and belly orange, the top of the head olivaceous; a black spot 

 ou each side of caudal peduncle close behind dorsal; black band or spot in front 

 of eye not bordered by blue; cheeks, opercle and breast with vertical lines of 

 metallic blue; dorsal yellowish; pectoral and caudal orange; a black spot in the 

 axil; upper margin of pectoral blue; anal orange with blue border; ventral 

 greenish, its base orange. UNICOLOR (= MACULIFERUS), 1580. 



bb. Body all violet with 5 or 6 more or less distinct black cross bands, the middle one broad- 

 est, covering the space from the fourth to the tenth dorsal spine and meeting its 

 fellow under the belly; the band at the nape broad and saddle-like, bounded by 2 

 pale cross streaks on nape, opercle, and cheeks; snout pale, a pale shade across it; 

 ventrals pale or dark; other fins, except spinous dorsal, mostly pale. Pores GO; 

 8 series above lateral line. 



e. Cheek with a blue band befo: e eye and some blue spots before it. PUELLA, 1580a. 



cc. Cheek without blue band; no blue spots on snout; colorsduller. VITULINUS, 1580&. 



bbb. Body and head yellow anteriorly; body abruptly black posteriorly, the buck extending 



forward to a wavy line reaching from first dorsal spine to vent; a broad dark-blue 



band in front of eye, bordered by sky blue; fins chiefly orange; ventral and anal 



bordered by sky blue. PINNAVABIUS, 1580c. 



aa. Soft dorsal plain, without distinct blue lines or spots. 



d. Preorbital region with 1 or more dark-blue stripes, bordered by bright sky blue (not 



fading in spirits). 



e. Body yellow anteriorly, black posteriorly, the black extending forward to a line 

 joining the nape and last anal ray; fins orange; a single blue-black stripe or 

 spot in front of eye, ocellated with sky blue; caudal peduncle very dark above. 



GUTTAVARIUS, 1580(f. 



ee. Body all orange yellow, fins orange; snout and lower jaw blue; 2 blue stripes, each 



bordered with sky blue, before the eye. GUMMIGUTTA, 1580e. 



eee. Body saffron yellow, orange posteriorly; snout with blue streaks and some blue 



dot8t CROCOTUS, 1580/. 



dd. Preorbital region without blue stripes; scales usually (?) smaller; pores 65, 11 series 



above lateral line. 



/. Preorbital region with violet spots; a round black spot on side of caudal peduncle; 

 dorsal light greenish; body light olive green above, reddish below; pectorals 

 pale yellow, the first ray blue; ventrals, anal, and caudal light orange. 



ABERRAN8, 15800. 



/. Preorbital region without distinct violet spots. 



g. General color blackish, brown, or yellowish not indigo blue. 



h. Color brownish, the middle of the front of body yellowish; fins all yellow 



except the ventrals, which are black. ACCENSrs, 1580/1. 



hh. Color yellowish pink; caudal and pectorals pale; ventrals and anal bright 



light blue. AFFINIS, 1580i. 



gg. Color of body black with violet shades. 



i. Pectoral and caudal fins abruptly bright yellow. . -11 I.ORURUS, 1580;. 



it. Pectoral and caudal fins violet black like the rest of the body. 



NIQIUCANS, 1580A-. 



