THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO. 
239 
Scarus aurofrenalus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., XIV, 191, 1839, Santo Domingo. 
Scarus mineofrenatus Poey, Memorias, II, 279, 1860, Cuba. 
Sparisoma aurofrenatum, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1634, 1898. 
193 . Sparisoma abildgaardi (Bloch). “Loro Colorado” ; lied Parrot-fish. 
(Plate 30.) 
Head 3; depth 2.7; eye 6.4; snout 2.1; interorbital 4.5; preorbital 3.4; D. ix, 10; A. ii, 9; pectoral 
1.3; ventral 1.6; caudal 1.3; scales 2-25-5. Dorsal and ventral outlines of body alike, snout without 
fleshy hump; caudal fin lunate, lobes equal; a single canine on each side of upper jaw above cutting 
edge (in one small specimen 2 on right side). 
Color in life: Fins and lower parts below a line from tip of under jaw to base of caudal under the 
end* of lateral line, red, edges of scales paler; body above grayish, edges of scales black, bases of those 
below lateral line rosy; brownish-red wavy stripes radiating from eye below; oblique pale-blue stripes 
on dorsal, tips of row of smaller scales at base of anal blue, and 3 blotches on upper and 3 on lower ray 
of caudal; a few scales at base of caudal with pale yellow; iris yellow, pupil bordered narrowly with 
red; membranous edge of opercle black. 
This gorgeously colored parrot-fish is generally common from Cuba south to Brazil and has been 
recorded also from Martinique, Jamaica, Santo Domingo, and Havana. The collection from Porto Rico 
contains 2 specimens, 11 and 12.5 inches long, respectively, from Arroyo, where many others were 
seen. While it was not noticed elsewhere it is probably not rare about the island. 
V ieja, Parra, Descr. Dif. Piezas, Hist. Nat., 58, pi. 28, fig. 2, 1787, Cuba. 
Scarus abildgaardi Bloch, Iehth., pi. 259, 1791, America; from a specimen sent by Professor Abildgaard. 
Scarus coccineus Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Iehth., 289, 1801, Cuba; after Parra. 
Scarus aureoruber LacHpede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 55, 163, 1803, Martinique; on a drawing by Plumier. 
Scarus amplus Ranzani, Nov. Comm. Ac. Sci. Inst. Bonon., 324, taf. 5, pi. 25, 1842, Brazil (fide Guichenot; not seen by us). 
Scarus erythrinoides Guichenot, Scarides Mus. Paris, 10, 1865, Santo Domingo. 
Scarus oxybrachius Poey, Synopsis, 342, 1868, Cuba. 
Sparisoma abildgaardi, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1635, 1898. 
194 . Sparisoma chrysopterum ( Bloch & Schneider) . 
“Loro Verde”; “Cotoro Verde”; Vieja; Blue Parrot fish. 
Head 3.1; depth 3; eye 5.8; snout 2.1; interorbital 5.5; preorbital 3.2; D. ix, 10; A. ii, 9; 
pectoral 1.5; ventral 1.9; caudal 1.2; scales 1J-25-5. Dorsal and ventral outlines nearly alike, dorsal 
somewhat more strongly arched; 4 to 6 strong canines on each side of upper jaw, those behind usually 
pointing outward or backward, those in front forward, sometimes one or two small ones at suture; 
pores of lateral line much branched, more so than in any other known Porto Rican species; caudal 
deeply lunate, outer rays much produced, upper lobe the longer, twice length of middle rays. Known 
from the other species by the canines, produced rays of the caudal, and the blue color. 
Color in life: Rich greenish-blue or bluish-green above; edges of scales greener, their bases darker; 
under parts rich blue; head greenish-blue, somewhat mottled; lower jaw and breast sky-blue; dorsal 
pale rose; anal pale blue at base, then broadly pale brick-red, then a very narrow pale-blue border; 
caudal reddish at base, blue on outer rays extending to tips; abaft the red a pale crescent, then a 
broad blood-red one, and last a narrow bluish-green border; pectoral pale lemon, a black splotch at 
base above; ventral pale-greenish. 
In spirits, body nearly everywhere a faded-blue, brighter on head and under pectoral; dorsal 
and pectoral pale; ventral chiefly pale, with traces of blue; anal soiled-grayish; middle of caudal pale, 
its edge dark, outer rays greenish; a black blotch on base of pectoral above. 
This species is generally common from the West Indies to Brazil, and is known from Havana. 
Santo Domingo, Jamaica, Porto Rico, Martinique, St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Kitts, Guadeloupe, and Bahia. 
It reaches a good size and is of some value as a food-fish. Two tine specimens, each a foot long, were 
obtained from Arroyo and Isabel Segunda, and others were seen at each of these places and at Culebra. 
Vieja, Parra, Descr. Dif. Piezas, Hist. Nat., 58, pi. 28, fig. 4, 1787, Cuba. 
Scarus chrysopterus Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Iehth., 286, pi. 57, 1801, American seas. 
Scarus clitoris Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Iehth., 289, 1801, Cuba; after Parra. 
Scarus lateralis Poey, Memorias, II, 219, 1860, Cuba. 
? Scarus spinidens Guichenot, Scarides, 15, 1865, Bahia. 
Sparisoma chrysopterum, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1636, 1898. 
