238 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Labrus radians Gastelnau, Anim. Nouv., etc. , AmCrique du Sud, 29, 1855; not Scarus radians Cuvier & Valenciennes. 
Scams radians Gunther, Cat., IV, 211; Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 906, 1883; not of Cuvier & Valenciennes. 
Scarus hoplomystax Cope, Trans. Am. Philo. Soc. 1869, 462, St. Martins. 
Sparisoma cyanolene Jordan & Swain, Proc. U. S. N. M. 1884, 98, Key West. 
Sparisoma hoplomystax, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1632, 1898. 
191 . Sparisoma niphobles Jordan & Bollman. Loro; Parrot-fish. 
Head 3; depth 2.67; eye 4.25; snout 3; D. ix, 10; A. ii, 9; scales 1-25-5. Body short and stout; 
snout short, obtuse; dorsal outline gently and regularly arched from tip of snout to origin of dorsal, 
thence in a regular descent to caudal peduncle; ventral outline less arched; a minute canine directed 
downward on front of upper jaw on each side close to median suture, and a larger, stronger lateral one, 
directed backward; lower jaw somewhat projecting, teeth coalesced except at tips; upper lip double 
for its entire length, covering most of upper jaw; cheek with one row of 5 large scales; lateral line 
complete, dropping from second to third row of scales under last dorsal rays, the tubes each with 3 to 
5 branches; 4 scales on median line before dorsal. Origin of dorsal above base of pectoral, spines 
pungent, about equal to snout in length, rays a little longer; caudal slightly rounded, outer rays about 
2 in head; anal similar to soft dorsal, its origin about under first dorsal ray; pectoral broad and short, 
about equal to snout and eye; ventral short, equal to snout and half eye. 
Color in alcohol: Dirty gray, body mottled and speckled with whitish; an obscure whitish line, 
often not evident, from eye along lateral line to caudal, and a plainer, better-defined one from base 
of caudal to opercular flap, where it connects with a similar line from eye across opercle; in some 
specimens lower half of body abruptly paler, the dividing line running from lower edge of eye to 
the middle of caudal; base of pectoral and axil black, probably greenish in life; lower parts of side 
usually with more numerous white specks; under parts of the body paler; tip of lower jaw brown, 
followed by a white band, then another brown one, behind which is a series of 6 large white spots, 
middle ones largest, these spots sometimes confluent; subopercle and breast blotched with brown on 
bases of scales; dorsal with about 4 faint dark bars; anal similarly marked; caudal mottled, a pale 
line at tip. In life, grayish with washings of greenish and reddish; base of pectoral green. 
This species is known only from the Bahamas, Cape Florida, Key West, and Porto Rico. It is 
quite abundant about Porto Rico, where numerous specimens were obtained from San Geronimo, 
Aguadilla, Mayaguez, Ensenada del Boqueron, Ponce, Hucares, and Fajardo. It was abundant at each 
of these places. Length 5 or 6 inches or less. Like most other species of this genus this fish frequents 
the patches of alg?e in shallow water. From S. hoplomystax (Cope), which it closely resembles, it may 
best be distinguished by the presence of but a single lateral canine and the numerous small white 
specks, which are diagnostic. 
Sparisoma niphobles Jordan & Bollman, Proc. U. S. N. M. 1888 (Sept. 20), 551, Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas; Jordan & 
Evermann, 1. c., II, 1633,1898. 
192 . Sparisoma aurofrenatum (Cuvier & Valenciennes). 
Head 3.1; depth 3.1; eye 5; snout 2.6; interorbital 4.5; preorbital 4.6; D. ix, 10; A. ii, 9; pectoral 
1.4; ventral 1.7; caudal 1.5; scales 14-25-5. One posterior canine (obsolete or broken on right side 
in our specimen); caudal fin lunate, upper lobe very slightly longer than lower. 
Color in life: Whitish green above, slightly rosy on side, greenish below; an orange splotch 
bordered at upper anterior edge by a black blotch just below lateral line under third dorsal spine; eye 
red; a brick-red bar from mouth under eye to opercle, above this 2 small oblong spots of same; rest 
of head bluish, teeth white, dorsal pale yellowish-red; anal rich red with bluish border; caudal olive at 
base, then a broad, rich blood-red bar or crescent, then a pale, whitish terminal crescent; outer rays 
clear red, tips of fin black; pectoral very pale-rosy, the anterior ray dark; ventral pale-rosy, a blue 
blotch at base of pectoral. In spirits, dark above, pale green on sides and below; a pale-yellow stripe 
from angle of mouth to below posterior margin of eye, bordered below by black; a short, narrow bar of 
same color behind eye; a distinct black blotch on fourth and fifth scales of lateral line, and a much 
larger blotch of yellow below the black; upper ray and base of pectoral dark, front of base black; anal 
with a dark line at base and a dark edge; angles of caudal inky-black, blotch on lower lobe the larger. 
Easily recognizable, even in spirits, by the characteristic persistent markings. 
A West Indian species, known from Havana, Sombrero Key, Santo Domingo, Jamaica, Porto Rico, 
St. Thomas, and St. Lucia. One specimen, 7.5 inches long, obtained by us at Arroyo. 
