Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1621 



united in a concave or spoon-shaped body, their teeth broadest transversely 

 and truncate, arranged in mosaic ; dorsal continuous, its formula usually 

 IX, 10; anal rays II, 9; 23 to 25 scales in the lateral line; vertebra? about 

 11 + 14 = 25. Sexes similarily colored, the coloration almost always bril- 

 liant; fin rays essentially the same throughout the group, the squamation 

 varying little except on the head. Genera?; species about 110; of the 

 tropical seas, especially abundant about coral reefs. Herbivorous fishes 

 often of large size, not valued as food, the flesh being soft and pasty. The 

 species in the various genera are very closely related, being distinguished 

 chiefly by the coloration and the dentition, both series of characters being 

 highly specialized. We begin the group with the most generalized genus, 

 the one nearest the Labroid ancestors of the Scaridce. (Labridce Scarina, 

 Giinther, Cat,, iv, 208 to 240.) 



SPARISOMATIN^E : 



a. Lower pharyngeal broader than long, flattish or basin-shaped; gill membranes 

 broadly joined to the isthmus, not forming afold across it; lateralline subcontin- 

 uous; scales about head few and large, those on the cheek in 1 row; lower 

 jaw projecting; teeth whitish or rosy. 

 b. Dorsal spines flexible; teeth more or less distinct, at least anteriorly. 



c. Teeth in each jaw in few series, not imbricated or quincunx; lateral teeth 



of each jaw coalescent in a more or less continuous cutting edge, the 

 teeth more free anteriorly and not adnate to the dental plate. 



CRYPTOTOMUS, 646. 



cc. Teeth in each jaw in 3 or 4 series, all imbricated in quincunx order on 

 the dental plate, to which they are adnate by the posterior face ; cut- 

 ting edge of each jaw formed by teeth. CALOTOMUS, 647. 

 bb. Dorsal spines stiff, pungent; teeth of upper jaw at least more or less coales- 

 cent. 



d. Teeth of each jaw chiefly coalescent, the jaws divided by a rather indis- 



tinct median suture. SPARISOMA, 648. 



SCARING : 



aa. Lower pharyngeal spoon-shaped, much longer than broad; teeth of jaws fully coa- 

 lesced, each jaw divided by a distinct median suture ; gill membranes forming 

 a fold across the isthmus ; dorsal spines flexible ; lateral line interrupted behind, 

 beginning again lower down on the peduncle of the tail; scales about head 

 rather numerous, those on cheeks in 2 or more series; lower jaw included. 

 e. Teeth and jaws whitish or rosy in color. SCARUS, 649. 



ee. Teeth and jaws blue or bluish green. PSEUDOSCARUS, 650. 



646. CRYPTOTOMUS, Cope. 



Calliodon, CUVIER, Kegne Animal, Ed. II, Vol. 2, 266, 1829 (spinidens) ; not Calliodon of 



GRONOW, nor of BLOCK <fc SCHNEIDER, which is Scarus. 



Catty odon, CUVIER <fc VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xiv, 285, 1839 (spinidens, ustus, etc.). 

 Crypotomus, COPE, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 1871, 462 (roseus). 



Lower pharyneals, upper pharyngeals, isthmus, and lateral line pre- 

 cisely as in Sparisoma; lateral teeth of upper jaw coalescent into a more 

 or less continuous cutting edge, the teeth more separate anteriorly; free 

 posterior canines often present ; anterior teeth separate or coalescent at 

 base only; lower jaw with a single series of partly coalescent teeth lat-. 

 erally, and 2 or more series of nearly separate teeth anteriorly; median 

 suture of jaws not evident externally; dorsal spines flexible; jaws sub- 

 equal; scales about head large, a single row on cheek, 4 or 5 on median 



