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BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
the large parrot-fishes about Porto Rico, as it is also about Key West. It is not uncommon at Havana, 
where it is still known as “guacamaia,” the name by which it was known to Parra more than a 
century ago. It reaches a length of 2 feet or more, and is of some value as food. 
Guacamaia, Parra, Dcscr. Dif. Piezas, Hist. Nat., 54, pi. 26, 1787, Cuba. 
Scarus guacamaia Cuvier, Regne Animal, ed. II, vol.2, 265, 1829, Cuba; after Parra. 
Scams turchesius Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., XIV, 181,1839, Porto Rico. 
Scarus rostralus Poey, Memorias, II, 221, 1860, Havana. 
Pseudoscarus turchesius, Poey, Fauna Puerto-Riquena, 337, 1881: Stahl, 1. c., 78 and 164, 1883. 
Pseudoscarus guacamaia, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1657,1898. 
FAMILY LI 1 1. EPHIPPIDyE. The Spade-Fishes. 
Body compressed, usually greatly elevated, anterior profile steep, caudal peduncle short. Scales 
moderate or small, ctenoid, densely covering soft parts of vertical fins; lateral line present, following 
curve of back. Mouth small, terminal, horizontal; premaxillaries slightly protractile; maxillary short, 
without supplemental bone, partly slipping under the narrow preorbital; jaws with bands of slender, 
pointed, movable, brush-like teeth; nostrils double; preopercle very finely serrated or entire; gill-mem- 
branes broadly attached to isthmus, openings restricted to sides; branchiostegals 6 or 7; pyloric cava 
few; gillrakers very short; pseudobranch iso present. Dorsal fins 2, somewhat connected, the first of 8 
to 11 spines, which are depressible in a groove; soft dorsal and anal fins anteriorly high, their bases 
thickened by scales; anal spines 3 or 4, short; caudal fin truncate or doubly concave; pectoral short, 
rays all branched; ventral s thoracic, normally i, 5; sometimes rudimentary; a large accessory scale as 
in the Sparidx; air-bladder large, commonly bifurcate in front, and with 2 slender horns behind. 
Vertebrae 10 T 14 = 24. Post- temporal bifurcate, as usual among fishes, not joined to skull. 
As here understood, the Ephippidx comprise about 4 genera and 10 or 12 species, related to the 
Chxlodontidx but showing important differences in the skeleton, which show's resemblances to both 
scombroid and sparoid forms. Shore fishes, mostly of large size, in warm seas, often valued as food. 
The following diagnosis of this family is given by Dr. Gill: “ Chaetodontoidea with a widescaly 
isthmus extending from pectoral region to the chin and separating the branchial apertures; spinous 
partially differentiated from soft portion of dorsal; upper jaw scarcely protractile; ethmoid cariniform 
above (not sunk and concave) and vomer declivous (not projecting forward or refuse) ; parapophyses 
spiniform and posteriorly inclosing a haemal canal, and post-temporal bones bifurcated.” 
Genus 112. CH7ET0DIPTERUS Lacepede. 
Body much elevated and compressed, its outline nearly orbicular, anterior profile nearly vertical. 
Scales small, 55 to 70 in course of lateral line. .Taws about equal; no teeth on vomer or palatines; 
teeth on jaws slender, somewhat movable; preopercle finely serrulate. Branchiostegals 6. Dorsal fins 
2, somewhat connected, first usually of 9 spines, the third of which is elongate; anal spines 3, small, 
second the longest; ventral with large accessory scale. Pyloric caeca 4 to 6. 
An American genus distinguished from the Asiatic Ephippus, by the very much smaller scales. 
204. Chsetodipterus faber (Broussonet). “Paguala” ; Angel-fish; Spade-fish. 
(Plate 33.) 
Head 3.5; depth 1.1 to 1.75; eye 4.2; snout 2.6; maxillary 3.5; interorbital 2.6; preorbital 4.7; 
D. viii-i, 20 to 22; A. in, 18; pectoral 1.8; ventral 1; caudal 0.8; scales about 60. Body nearly orbicu- 
lar, greatly compressed, caudal peduncle short and slender; head small, not pointed; mouth very 
small, the equal jaws with broad brush-like bands of slender, very closely set, movable, pointed teeth; 
maxillary not reaching front of eye; profile of snout nearly vertical; spinous dorsal low, the third 
spine much enlarged, its membrane black; fourth spine enlarged, but shorter than third, widened and 
flattened, the other spines short and partially embedded; soft dorsal and anal densely covered through- 
out with very fine scales; the anterior rays much produced, those of dorsal 1.4 in body, of anal 2.2; 
bases of these fins with sheaths of scales intermediate in size between those of body and those of rest 
of fin; pectoral small, with fine scales on outer side; ventral long, falcate, densely scaled, the first ray 
produced and filamentous; caudal large, scaly at base, its margin slightly concave. The young have 
the third dorsal spine much more produced than in adult, reaching past middle of produced rays of 
