28. 



SCARUS-PEPO. 



Order, Thoracic. 

 Native Name, ^q3^. Laboo-Girawah. 



S.-pepo. Body covered with scales, resembling a regularly marked net or 

 trellis work, of yellow, on a blue ground, graduating towards the under parts. 

 Head yellow, with various forms and spots of blue. Eye brilliant ; iris 

 golden. Caudal fin dark green, vertically tinged with reddish brown ; dorsal 

 and anal fins reddish brown, bordered with dark green. Pectoral and ventral 

 fins yellowish brown, the front rays green ; no spines. 



Branchiostegous rays 5. Dorsal 20. Pectoral 14. Ventral 6. Anal 11. 



Caudal 15. 



The Laboo-Girawah of the Cingalese is very scarce on the 

 southern coast of Ceylon. It has been taken upwards of three feet 

 in length ; its flesh is white and firm ; and, if more generally known, 

 would be highly esteemed. 



Girawah, or Parrot, is applied to those fishes which the natives 

 consider beautiful ; and this fish is not the least worthy of their con- 

 sideration. Laboo is the name of a species of gourd or pumpkin, to 

 which the marks and colors of the fish have some resemblance. It 

 is somewhat allied to the Scarus Viridis of Block, table 233, but the 

 scales are larger, and the color more distinctly marked. 



Figure — One-fourth the size of the original. 



