FISHES OF HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
277 
Family LXIX. LABRIDiE. — The Wrasse-Fishes. 
Body oblong or elongate, covered with cycloid scales, lateral line well developed, continuous or 
interrupted, often angularly bent; mouth moderate, terminal; premaxi Maries protractile; maxillaries 
without supplemental bone, slipping under membranaceous edge of the preorbital; anterior teeth in 
jaws usually very strong and canine-like; teeth of jaws separate or soldered together at base, not 
forming a continuous plate; no teeth on vomer or palatines; lower pharyngeals completely united into 
one bone, without median suture, this bone T-shaped or Y-shaped, its teeth conical or tubercular; lips 
thick, longitudinally plicate; nostrils round, with 2 openings on each side; dorsal fin continuous, the 
spinous portion usually long, its spines rather slender, 3 to 20 in number; anal similar to soft dorsal, 
with 2 to 6 spines; ventrals thoracic, i, 5, inserted below the pectorals or slightly in advance of them; 
branchiostegals 5 or 6; pseudobranchise well developed; gills 3J, the slit behind the last arch small or 
obsolete; gill-membranes somewhat connected, sometimes joined to the narrow isthmus; air-bladder 
absent; no pyloric coeca. Species chiefly of the tropical seas, living among rocks, coral reefs, or kelp. 
Many of them are brilliantly colored, and some are valued as food-fishes. Most of them feed upon 
mollusks, the dentition being adapted for crushing shells. 
!. Lateral line continuous. 
1). Scales rather large, not more than 40 in lengthwise series. 
c. Posterior canines present. 
d. Head with scales; dorsal spines xn. 
e. Teeth of jaws in single series. 
/. Preopercle usually finely serrate; caudal lunate Lepidaplois, p. 278 
ff. Preopercle entire; caudal rounded Verriculus, p. 280 
ee. Teeth of jaws in 2 series Verreo, p. 281 
dd. Head scaleless; dorsal spines ix. 
g. Body oblong, not deep. 
li. Canines in front of upper jaw very small, close set; those of lower jaw forming a cutting edge. 
Stethojulis, p. 283 
hh. Canines in front of jaws strong, not forming a cutting edge Halichcsres, p. 285 
gg. Body rather short and deep Macropharyngodon, p. 288 
cc. Posterior canines not present. 
i. Snout much produced Gomphusus, p. 289 
it. Snout not much produced. 
j. Dorsal spines ix. 
k. Body rather deep - Anampses, p. 
kk. Body elongate . 
291 
. Pseudojulis , p. 294 
jj. Dorsal spines VIII Thalassoma, p.295 
bb. Scales smaller, more than 40 in lengthwise series. 
I. Posterior canines present. 
m. Scales small, more than 70 in lengthwise series Julis, p. 304 
mm. Scales larger, 50 to 60 in lengthwise series Coria, p. 310 
II. Posterior canines not present Cheilio , p. 314 
aa. Lateral line interrupted. 
n. First 2 dorsal spines not conspicuously removed from the third, 
o. Scales large, about 20 to 30 in lengthwise series. 
p. Preopercle serrate; dorsal spines xi . Cirrhilabrus, p. 315 
pp. Preopercle entire; dorsal spines ix (rarely x). 
q. Teeth in jaws in one series. 
r. Canines of upper jaw bent outward and backward Pseudocheilinus, p. 316 
it. Canines not bent outward and backward ; Cheilinus, p. 319 
qq. Teeth in jaws in many series Novaculichthys, p. 322 
oo. Seales small, more-than 70 in lengthwise series Cymolutes , p. 327 
nn. First 2 dorsal spines more or less conspicuously removed from the third. 
s. Two anterior spines of dorsal separate from others and placed as a separate fin on 
nape Iniistius, p. 328 
ss. Two anterior spines of dorsal removed, but not wholly detached, there being more 
or less of membranous connection. 
t. Cheeks with small scales Ilemipteronotus, p. 334 
tt. Cheeks scaleless Xyrichthys, p. 336 
