458 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. IX, October, 1955 
not the species represented by the Kailua 
specimen. I can see nothing to indicate that 
this in turn is not an old male of the brown 
form represented by S. dubius. Since S. dubius 
is the oldest name to be applied in either the 
brown or the green complex dealt with, it 
may be, at least provisionally, used for this 
species. 
Scarus sordidus Forskal 
78 specs., 57-222 mm., 1951 (75 brown, 3 
green); 5 specs., 115-175 mm., Brock, 1948. 
Fowler and Ball, 1925, 2 specs. 
This species does not seem to be among 
those described by Jordan and Evermann and 
the identification for it was kindly provided 
by Dr. L. P. Schultz of the U. S. National 
Museum. It has a characteristic bullet-shaped 
head and usually has the tooth plates pro- 
truding well beyond the lips. These tooth 
plates are of a dirty, greenish tinge in alcohol. 
The caudal of this species is rounded in small 
specimens but truncate in fishes 5.5 inches in 
total length and larger. It is the most elongate 
of the three species, and the eye is smaller 
than in the other two species at the same 
size. The anal rays are somewhat shorter than 
in S. perspicillatus (longest anal ray contained 
1.85-^2.34 in anal base of S . sordidus , 1.44-1.98 
in S. perspicillatus) . This form often has a white 
band on the caudal peduncle and there is 
frequently a black spot in the middle of the 
band. 
It seems to be the commonest scarid at 
Johnston and not at all infrequent around 
Oahu. The largest specimen of this brown 
form taken is about 9 inches long. Most of the 
specimens more than 5 inches long are mature 
females with eggs. The ovaries are similar to 
those of S. dubius and are paired in the single 
specimen checked. Again certain specimens 
contain the asymetrical, liver-like structure 
found in the brown form of S. dubius . Of a 
dozen brown specimens checked, one 4.5 
inches long was an immature. The rest are 
larger, the largest being 8.3 inches in total 
length. Of these, 8 are mature females, and 3 
have a large, flattish liver-like organ in the 
ovarian position. The size of this flattish or- 
gan, when present is, in 2 out of the 3 spec- 
imens, larger than the largest ovary. This 
seems peculiar if it is a testis, but repeated 
attempts to find eggs in it have failed. The 
facts that the liver is also present in these 
specimens, that there are no other gonad-like 
structures along with it, and that it contains 
no eggs seems to leave little alternative to 
identifying the structure as a testis despite its 
size. 
Three green specimens, 10.2 to 10.5 inches 
in total length, were taken with the brown 
form from Johnston described above. These 
all duplicate the brown form of S. sordidus in 
morphological characters, e.g., the long head 
with greatly protruding, greenish tooth plates, 
the two complete scale rows on the cheek, 
rounded pelvics, etc. Though the outer caudal 
rays extend somewhat beyond the inner ones 
they are not produced as in the green form 
of S. dubius. There are from 0 to 3 small knobs 
at the sides of the upper jaw; these do not 
project outward to nearly the extent that they 
do in adult S. dubius. In all of these there is 
a flat organ on the right side, but in one of 
the three it does not seem to occur on the left. 
In this one the organ on the right side is 
quite small, in the other two of moderate 
size, considerably smaller than the same organ 
at its maximum development in the smaller 
brown form. I think two of the three green 
specimens may be considered ripe or ripening 
males and the third an unripe male. In color, 
these specimens, though faded, differ con- 
siderably from the green form of S. dubius. 
The pelvic and caudal coloration is quite plain 
and that on the head seems to have consisted 
of broad, indefinite dark bars around the 
mouth and behind the eye. 
Scarus perspicillatus (Steindachner) 
5 specs., 72-290 mm., 1951 (4 brown, 1 
green). Smith and Swain, 1882, 1 spec.; Hal- 
stead and Bunker, 1954, 12 specs. As Cally- 
odon perspicillatus Fowler and Ball, 1925, 4 
