ON THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA. 127 



v j : , . 





Illustration. Page. 



128. "CRYPTOTOMUS BERYLLINUS." 608 1625 

 Parrot Fish. 



129. "SPARISIMA CHRYSOPTERUM." No illustration. 1636 



Parrot Fish, Blue ; "Head 3^ (4*^ with caudal); depth 2}& 



Vikja. (34). D. IX, 10; A. II, 9; scales 2^-24-6. 



Body oblong ; a strong canine directed outward and backward toward 

 angle of mouth in upper jaw ; besides this about 3 smaller canines 

 toward front of jaw, chiefly turned forward ; upper lip covering about 

 *4 of upper jaw. Eye 5/3 in head; snout not obtuse, 2^ ; cheek 

 with a single row of 3 or 4 large scales; each pore of lateral line 

 ramose, many times forked, and covering most of the scale, the pores 

 more branched than in any other of our species ; 4 scales on median 

 line before dorsal. Caudal deeply lunate, the outer rays much pro- 

 duced, upper lobe the longer, twice as long as inner rays, as long as 

 head. Color, in life, bright blue, almost everywhere tinged with 

 green ; head and portion behind pectorals brighter ; an ill -defined 

 pale band on lower part of side ; dorsal and anal and middle of cau- 

 dal brick red ; edge of caudal blue ; ventrals bluish green ; pectorals 

 greenish yellow, their base red around a large black spot ; teeth 

 bluish ; jaws pale. In spirits the blue is more or less faded, leaving 

 the fish chiefly green, darker on head ; the red and yellow of fins 

 become pale grayish. According to Poey, there is usually a dark 

 blue horizontal stripe along sides behind pectoral fin." 



130. "SPARISIMA VIRIDE." No illustration. 1638 

 Parrot Fish, Green ; 

 Dark Green Parrot Fish. 



