128 WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW TO CATCH FISH 



Illustration. Pace. 



131. "SPARISOMA FLAVESCENS." No illustration. 1639 



Parrot Fish ; " Head Z}i (4 with caudal) ; depth 2f (3^). 



Mud Parrot; d ix? 1Q . A Hj 9 . scales 2 ^-24-6; eye 5^ 



, T . , in head : snout 24. Body oblong : no canine teeth ; 



VlEJA MUGER. a ' b ' 



upper lip covering most of upper jaw ; eye rather 

 small ; snout bluntish, cheek with a single series of about 5 large 

 scales ; tubes of lateral line dividing into about 5 branches, covering 

 most of the scale ; 4 scales on median line before dorsal ; pectoral 

 fin reaching past tips of ventrals ; origin of ventral spine under 

 middle of pectoral base ; caudal fin slightly lunate, the upper lobe 

 longer and narrower than the lower, 1 % in head ; the prolongation 

 of the outer rays varies somewhat and is greatest in the adult ; the 

 concavity of the fin is evident in specimens 3 inches long, but in the 

 very young the fin is truncate or even slightly convex. A few speci- 

 mens of 6 to 8 inches are in the collection in which the caudal fin 

 appears fairly truncate when spread open, the angles remaining acute. 

 In most cases, however, the fin is slightly concave. Color of adult, 

 in life, olivaceous, somewhat clouded with light and dark, and usually 

 flushed with pinkish, especially below, the edges of the scales more 

 yellow olive ; scales of belly and lower parts light orange red toward 

 their bases, giving a decidedly reddish cast ; dorsal mottled with 

 different shades of olive ; caudal creamy, mottled and barred with 

 darker orange, the markings more distinct on the outer edge ; ven- 

 trals and anal rich cherry red, mottled and barred with brown ; pec- 

 torals light orange red, the color formed by narrow orange cross 

 streaks on a paler ground, a light band across lower jaw, which is 

 otherwise brown ; teeth white ; a dusky or black blotch at base of 

 pectoral ; sometimes blackish spots on the scales at the base of the 

 soft dorsal. In spirits the red of body and fins and yellow on scales 

 becomes pale. Young individuals have small, bright, rosy spots on 

 sides of back ; 2 faint, darker, longitudinal shades along side." 



