

[81] REVIEW OF THE LABROID FISHES. 679 



Etymology : Exdpos, Scarus, ancient name of Sparisoma cretense, said 

 by Kondelet to be from axaipwv, to pasture. 



The name Scarus was used by the ancients and by some pre-Linna3an 

 writers on zoology for the Mediterranean species of Sparisoma, Labrus 

 cretensis L. By Gronow, anon-binomial writer, it was used in 1764 for 

 a group substantially identical with the modern genus Labrus. 



Its first use as a generic name in binomial nomenclature is that of 

 Forskal in 1775. The genus Scarus of Forskal was based on several 

 species obtained by him on the coasts of Arabia. A few of these are 

 not Scaroids. The others all belong to the group called Pseudoscarus 

 by Bleeker. Forskal had apparently no acquaintance with the Labrus 

 cretensis, and this species can not in any proper sense be taken as the 

 type of his genus. One of the species mentioned by him should be so 

 taken, and as all his Scari belong to the same group, it makes no special 

 difference which one is selected. Jordan and Gilbert have regarded 

 Scarus psittacus Forskal as the type. If, however, Sparisoma cretense be 

 taken as the type of Scarus, the proper name for the present genus 

 would be Calliodon, and several of the useless generic names of Swain- 

 son have priority over Pseudoscarus. 



Lately, in accordance with the rules of the American Ornithologists' 

 Union, I had adopted the non-binomial butpost-Liunaean generic names 

 of Gronow, among them that of Calliodon, for the present genus. It 

 seems better, however, not to use these names of Gronow. I have, 

 therefore, retained Scarus as the name of the present group. 



The genus Scarus contains the majority of the species of the subfam- 

 ily of Scarince. It is more widely distributed than the other genera ; its 

 species reach for the most part a larger size, and in general they are 

 more brightly colored than the others. 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OF SCARUS. 



Common characters. — Lower pharyngeals spoon-shaped, ovate-oblong, transversely 

 concave; teeth in each jaw fully coaleseent, appearing as tessellations on the sur- 

 face ; jaws with distinct median suture ; edges of jaw even ; upper pharyngeals each 

 with two rows of teeth; gill membranes scarcely united to the narrow isthmus, across 

 which they form a broad fold ; dorsal spines flexible, scarcely different from the soft 

 rays; upper lip laterally double, the interior fold becoming very narrow or obsolete 

 mesially ; lower jaw included in the closed mouth; lateral line interrupted poste- 

 riorly, commencing again on the next series of scales below ; tubes of lateral line 

 scarcely branched; scales on cheek in two to four rows; scales in front of dorsal on 

 median line 6 to 8. Species mostly of large size, found in all tropical seas. 

 a. Teeth whitish. 



o. Upper jaw with from one to four posterior canines, 

 c. Cheeks with from two to three rows of scales. 

 d. Head with a longitudinal band ; a yellow longitudinal stripe on body ; outer 



rays of caudal not colored like the inner ; caudal 

 subtruncate. 

 e. Outer rays of caudal blackish or greenish, darker than the median rays. 

 /. Yellow stripe above pectoral about on a level with the eye ; outer rays 



of caudal deep greenish blue; upper jaw .with one 



