244 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
201 . Scarus croicensis (Bloch). Bullon. 
Head 2.9; depth 3.3; eye 4.8; snout 2.9; interorbital 3; preorbital 4.8; D. ix, 10; A. ii, 9; pec- 
toral 1.6; ventral 2; caudal 1.9; scales 14-25-6. Body elongate, little elevated, dorsal and ventral 
outlines alike, jaws without canines; caudal fin slightly rounded. 
Color in life: Brownish above, pale below; a broad band of brown from eye to base of caudal, a 
narrower one below this from base of pectoral to caudal; a pale-bluish line bordering upper band 
above and below; two or three white or pale-bluish longitudinal streaks on sides of abdomen. 
A species of small size but great abundance, from southern Florida and the AVest Indies; known 
from Key West, the Tortugas, Bermuda, Havana, Porto Rico, St. Thomas, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Mar- 
tinique, and St. Croix. Numerous specimens obtained by us at San Antonio Bridge, Boqueron, 
Mayaguez, Hucares, Fajardo, and Culebra; 8 by Mr. Gray at San Geronimo. It probably does not 
exceed 5 or 6 inches in length. 
Scams croicensis Bloch, Ichth., pi. 221, 1790, St. Croix; Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1650, 1898. 
Scarus insulx-sanclx-crucis Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 312, pi. 62, fig. 2, 1801; after Gronow. 
Scarus alternans Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss, IV, 200, 1839, Martinique. 
Pseudoscarus lineolatus Poey, Repertorio, II, 239, 1868, Cuba. 
202 . Scarus coeruleus (Bloch). “ Loro” ; Blue Parrot-fish; “ Tumble-nose 
(Plate 32.) 
Head 3; depth 3; eye 8; snout 2.3; interorbital 2.8; preorbital 3.7; D. ix, 10; A. ii, 9; pectoral 
1.6; ventral 1.8; caudal 1; scales 2-25-6. Body elongate, back scarcely elevated, but snout with a 
large fleshy hump so that head is not pointed, hump much more prominent in old individuals; anterior 
profile strongly concave above eye in a specimen 20 inches long, nearly straight or slightly convex in 
one of 14 inches; eye small; caudal truncate or slightly rounded between the produced outer rays; no 
canines; pores of lateral line little branched. 
Color in life: Everywhere uniform turquoise-blue, bases of vertical fins much deeper blue; iris 
blue, pupil with a narrow brownish-yellow border; a brownish-yellow stripe bordering lower jaw; 
faint wine-colored shades on side of head below and behind eye; head, back, belly, and tips of fins 
greenish-blue. 
The blue parrot-fish reaches a length of 2 or 3 feet and a weight of 12 to 20 pounds. It has the 
widest distribution of any member of the family, being found from Chesapeake Bay southward to 
Florida and throughout the West Indies. It has been recorded from St. George Island (Maryland), 
Cape Charles, Bahamas, Key West, Tortugas, Havana, Martinique, Jamaica, and Porto Rico. Two 
specimens, 14.5 and 20 inches long, were obtained by us at Culebra Island, and many others were 
seen in the boats of the St. Thomas, St. Croix, and Tortola fishermen who frequent the waters about 
Culebra and Vieques islands. Though evidently not held in high esteem, it is doubtless the most 
important food species of the parrot-fishes occurring about Porto Rico, due chiefly to its abundance 
and large size, and the catch seems to be always saved by the fishermen. 
So far as known, none of the parrot-fishes ever takes the hook, and they are therefore usually 
caught in some sort of trap. The trap in common use about Porto Rico is shown on page 31. 
About Culebra Island these traps or baskets are set in 5 to 8 fathoms of water, and are usually baited 
with large chunks of cactus pulp, made white by trimming off the green outer part. 
These large parrot-fish are taken in considerable numbers, along with hog-fish, doctor-fish (med- 
icos) , groupers, snappers, and grunts. The name “tumble-nose” is given by fishermen to unusually 
large blue parrot-fish, on account of the peculiar topography of the nose. 
Novacula coerulea (the Blue-fish) , Catesby, Nat. Hist. Carolina, etc., 18, pi. 18, 1743, Bahamas. 
Loro, Parra, Descr. Dif. Piezas, Hist. Nat., 57, pi. 27, fig. 1, 1787, Cuba. 
Trompa, Parra, 1. c.,fig. 2. 
Coryphxna coerulea Bloch, Auslandische Fische, II, 120, pi. 176, 1786, in part, Bahamas; after Catesby and a figure by 
Aubriet, altered from a figure by Plumier. 
Scarus loro Bloch & Schneider, Systema Ichthyol., 288, 1801; after Loro of Parra. 
Scarus trilobatus Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 21, 1803, Martinique; on a drawing by Plumier. 
? Scarus holocyaneos Lac6p6de, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 45, 1803, Martinique; on a copy by Aubriet of a drawing by Plumier; 
the copy colored entirely blue in order to represent this species; the original drawing probably intended for 
Sparisoma chrysopterum; the same copy by Aubriet, the original of Bloch’s engraving of Scarus coeruleus. 
Scarus obtusus Poey, Memorias, II, 217, 1860, Cuba; adult. 
Scarus nuchalis Poey, Memorias, II, 220, 1860, Cuba; young. 
Scarus coeruleus, Jordan & Evermann, l.c.,1652, 1898. 
