334 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



288. SPARISOMA NIPHOBLES Jordan & BoUman. 



White-spotted Parrot-fisli. 



Sparisoma niphobles Jordan & BoUman, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1888, 551; Baliama Islands. 

 Jordan and Evermann, 1898, 1633. 



Diagnosis. — Body oblong, depth .33 length; length of head somewhat greater than depth 

 of body; eye contained 4.5 times in head; snout obtuse, contained 2.8 times in head; upper lip 

 large, covering most of jaw; 2 canine teeth in front of upper jaw, and 1 on each near angle of 

 mouth; scales in lateral series 24, in crosswise series 2+ 6; a row of 5 large scales on cheek; 4 

 median scales anterior to dorsal fin; tubes of lateral line with 3 to 5 branches; dorsal rays ix,10; 

 anal rays ii,ll; caudal fin truncate. Color: brownish green, thickly covered with white specks 

 and mottlings; head speckled with blue and black; chin with silvery spots; 5 bluish white 

 lengthwise stripes along row of scales; a black spot on shoulder; spinous dorsal with dark 

 mottlings; soft dorsal with rows of brown spots; anal similar to soft dorsal; caudal marked by 

 4 or 5 wavy, white vertical bars; pectorals yellowish; ventrals with indistinct white spots. 

 (niphobles, snowed upon.) 



Two specimens about 3.5 inches long' taken at Beaufort in the summer of 

 1902 are referable to this species, which has heretofore been known from Florida, 

 Porto Rico, and the Bahamas. The maximum lengjth is about 6 inches. 



Family EPHIPPID^. The Spade-fishes. 



Body much compressed, very deep, back strongly arched, ventral outline 

 less so; mouth small, terminal; bands of slender, sharp, movable teeth in jaws; 

 maxillary short, with no supplemental bone; premaxillary slightly protractile; 

 nostril double; gill-rakers short; gill-membranes broadly united to isthmus; 

 branchiostegals 6 or 7; pseudobranchise present; preopercle either finely serrated 

 or entire; scales ctenoid, of small or moderate size; lateral line present, strongly 

 arched; pyloric coeca few; air-bladder present; dorsal fins 2, anterior with 8 to 11 

 spines depressible in a groove, posterior much larger, with anterior rays elongated; 

 anal spines 3 or 4, the soft rays similar to posterior dorsal, both with fleshy 

 scaled base; caudal broad, with posterior margin square or concave; pectorals 

 short, the rays branched; ventrals thoracic. A rather small family, with a single 

 representative on the east coast of the United States. 



Genus CHiETODIPTERUS Lacfipfede. Spade-fishes. 



In this genus the much compressed body is nearly as deep as long; vomer 

 and palatines toothless; preopercle finely serrate; branchiostegals 6; scales small, 

 60 to 70 in lateral series; lateral line concurrent with back; pyloric ccEca 4 to 6; 

 dorsal fins disconnected, the first with 8 spines, the third longest; anal spines 3, 

 the second longest; a large accessory scale at base of ventrals. Two American 

 species, I on the Pacific coast, and the following. {Chcetodi-pterus, two-finned 

 chsetodon, in allusion to the divided dorsal.) 



S89. OH^TODIPTERUS FABER (Broussonet). 



"Porgee"'; "Pogy"; Angel-fish (S. 0.); Spade-fish; Moon-fish. 



ChcBtodon faber Broussonet, Ichtliyologia, 1782; Jamaica and Carolina. 

 Parephippua faber. Yarrow, 1877, 211; Beaxifort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 380; Beaufort. 

 Ouxtodipterue faber, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Goode, 1884, 445; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 91; Beaufort. 

 Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1668, pi. ccxlvii, fig. 619. Linton, 1905, 400; Beaufort. 



