1560 Bulletin 4.7, United States National Museum. 



624. ABUDEFDUF,* Forskal. 



(PlNTANOS.) 



Abudefduf, FORSKAL, Descr. Anim., etc., 59, 1775 (sordidus). 

 Glyphisodon, LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 542, 1803 (moucharra). 

 Euschistodus, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila. 1862, 145 (declivifrons) . 

 Glyphidodon, corrected spelling. 



Body deep, compressed, covered with large ctenoid scales ; snout with- 

 out scales; preopercle and preorbital entire, the lower limb of preopercle 

 scaleless; 3 to 4 rows of scales between lateral line and dorsal; teeth com- 

 pressed, fixed, more or less distinctly emargiuate, in 1 series in each 

 jaw, those below occupying most of the free edge of the jaw; jaws sub- 

 equal. Dorsal usually with 13 spines, the last slightly shorter than the 

 median ones ; braiichiostegals 5 or 6 ; pyloric caeca 3. Lower pharyngeals 

 triangular. Species numerous ; often brightly colored; about coral reefs 

 in the tropical seas. We exclude from this genus all the species formerly 

 referred to Glypliidodon, in which the teeth are in more than 1 series, 

 and also those in which the snout is scaly, or the lower pharyugeals not 

 triangular. For these forms different generic names, Heniiglyphidodon, 

 Amblyglyphidodon, Glyphidodontops, etc., have been denned by Bleeker. 

 The genus Stegastes Jenyns (iinbricatus) is also very close to Abudefduf, 

 but it seems to have entire teeth, and the snout and fins are densely scaly. 

 The geiius Nexilarius is less closely related to Abudefduf. 



(cibu-defduf, Arabic t name of the type of the genus, Chcvtodon sordidus t 

 Forskal.) 



I. Preopercle entire. 



GLYPHISODON (yAv^ts, incised ; 6Sous, tooth) : 



a. Preorbital very narrow, its least breadth less than pupil, even in adult: anterior 

 profile of head nearly straight, the snout rather acute ; dorsal spines 13 ; anal 

 with about 12 soft rays. 



b. Scales about 4-30-11 ; green, with about 6 dark-blue or blackish cross bands ; 

 depth 1| to 2 in length; anal rays II, 12. SAXATILIS, 1973. 



* There seems to be no good reason, except its odd form, for rejecting the Arabic name 

 given by Forskal to this genus. The diagnosis given by this excellent author is very 

 pertinent, and the basis of the name is the same as that of Acanthurus. Under the head 

 of Chcetodon, Forskal observes : 



"Genus hoc subdivisionein admittit: (a) CHCETODON: dentibus filiformibus, brevibus, 

 numerosis, multorum ordiimm, densis, acutis, iuterioribus seusim minoribus. P. Br. 

 radiis 6. Spinre P. A. 3. (b) ABU-DEFDUF: dentibus maxillaribus uniusferiei, filiformibus, 

 contiguis, submobilibus, obtusis; dentibus faucium nullis; annulo subtus circa oculos. 

 P. Br. rad. 5. Spinse P. A. 2. (c) ACANTHURUS: dentibus unius feriei, rigidis, acutis, con^. 

 tiguis, vel fimplicibus vel lobatis. Cauda in utroque latere aculeo uno vel pluribus; 

 exsorto et rigidp; vel mobili et recpndendo. Divisium prorsus a Chaetodonte genus; 

 aliquande propriam constituens familiam." 



Abudefduf ^thus corresponds in general to the family Pomacentridce, as Acanthurus to 

 the Teuthiididce, and it rests on the same basis as the latter name. Probably Forskal in- 

 tended to furnish each genus with a classical name. In the publication of Forskara 

 posthumous notes, his editor, Carsten Niebuhr, neglected to do this, and apparently we 

 have no alternative but to take Abudefduf as its author left it instead of the later Glyph- 

 isodon. 



tThe name "Abu-defduf," according to Dr. Cyras Adler, seems to mean "Father (i. e., 

 possessor) of sides." It. would indicate a fish or an animal whose sides or Hanks are 

 prominent. To analyze it: " abu " means father, and " def," side or flank. The redupli- 

 cation, " defduf," is a sort of an intensive plural. 



I Abudefduf sordidus is a species with broad preorbital and anal fin with 13 to 15 soft 

 rays. 



