Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1631 



with black; black bar across base of pectoral very distinct. The amount 

 of black on caudal and anal seems to depend on age, the very young 

 showing scarcely any. West Indies, north to Key West, generally com- 

 mon, but confused with other species. This species is found in eelgrass 

 and Fiicus about Key West, in company with S. hoplomystax, and is equally 

 abundant with the latter. It reaches a still smaller size, none of the 

 many specimens obtained exceeding 5 inches in length. These are sexu- 

 ally mature. One or 2 specimens of this species were seen in the market 

 at Havana, and many specimens were obtained by the Albatross at St. 

 Lucia. Dr. Bean found the species at Cozumel. (^vtirpov, a scraper; 

 6dov$, tooth.) 



Sparisoma xystrodon, JORDAN & SWAIN, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1884, 99, Key West ; Havana 

 (Type, No. 35174. Coll. Jordan & Dye) ; JORDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1884, 137 ; BEAN, 

 Bull. U. S. Fish Coram. 1888, 198 ; JORDAN, Review Labroid Fishes. 678, 1890. 



2040. SPARISOMA ATOMARIUM (Poey). 



Profile regular, the form elegant; depth 3^ in total length; eye 4 

 in head; 3 posterior canines; scales of lateral line with but 2 small 

 branches diverging at base ; caudal truncate. Color carmine red in life, 

 paler below, with pale streaks along the rows of scales; anal orange; 

 branching pores below orbit; sides of head much dotted with black; 

 caudal with pale vertical bands ; soft rays of dorsal and anal dotted ; mem- 

 brane of first 2 dorsal spines dusky; anal bluish. Length 120 mm. 

 Cuba (Poey); not seen by us. (atomarius, marked with atoms or dots.) 



Scant* atomarius, POEY, Memorias, n, 423, 1861, Havana ; POEY, Synopsis, 343, 1868. 



2041. SPARISOMA RADIANS (Cuvier & Valenciennes). 



Head 3; depth 3. D. IX, 9; A. II, 9; eye 4 in head; snout 3; scales 

 11-26-6. Body oblong, compressed; anterior profile evenly convex ; front 

 stoeper and less curved than in S. hoplomystax ; posterior canines 4 on each 

 side, radiating horizontally, the anterior canines pointing forward, the 

 lateral curved back, those near the angle of the mouth the largest; 4 

 scales before dorsal in a median line; about 5 scales in the row on cheek; 

 scales of lateral line with tubes much branched ; pectoral reaching slightly 

 past the tips of the ventrals ; caudal truncate or slightly rounded, the 

 angles not acute. Body and fins mottled, but much less so than in the 

 preceding; reddish brown; axil with little or no blue, but with a dusky 

 blotch partly hidden by the fin; a distinct narrow streak of blue down- 

 ward and forward from eye; caudal nearly plain, dusky olive; anal mot- 

 tled; 1 or 2 more or less distinct whitish bars across chin. West Indies, 

 south to Brazil, not rare, but often confounded with other species. Here 

 described from 3 specimens taken by the Albatross at Bahia, the original 

 locality of S. radians. These agree so well with S. lacrimosum of Poey 

 that we regard the latter species as identical. 



A specimen sent by Poey to the Museum of Comparative Zoology, shows 

 the following characters: Color in spirits, mottled brown, the caudal sim- 

 ilarly mottled and faintly barred; no dark axillary spot; head plain; 



