Zebrasoma and Paracanthurus — Randall 
peduncle 2.7 to 3.6 in head length; mouth 
small, terminal; jaws equal; teeth close-set, 
compressed, denticulate, 10 to 20 in upper 
jaw, 12 to 22 in lower jaw; dorsal and anal 
fins elevated; dorsal fin with IV to V slender 
spines and 23 to 33 rays; anal fin with III 
spines and 19 to 26 rays; pectoral fin 2.7 to 
3.3 in standard length; pectoral fin rays 14 
to 17, the uppermost a short bony spicule, 
the next long and unbranched; pelvic fin with 
I spine and 5 rays, its length contained 3.5 
to 4.5 in standard length; caudal fin truncate, 
with 16 principal rays; eye diameter (in spec- 
imens of 120 to 150 mm. in standard length) 
3.5 to 4.5 in head length (except long-snouted 
specimens of Z. rostratum ) ; interorbital slightly 
rounded, 2.9 to 3.4 in head length (also with 
the exception of Z. rostratum ) ; gill openings 
restricted to sides; gill membranes attached 
to isthmus; anterior gill rakers 8 to 12; pos- 
terior gill rakers 9 to 13; scales very small, 
elevated, and with stout ctenii; 22 vertebrae; 
stomach elongate and thin-walled. 
Zebrasoma is generally considered as an 
Indo-West-Pacific genus. Guichenot (1853: 
122), however, recorded it (as Acanthurus 
scopas Cuvier and Valenciennes) from Cuba. 
He mentioned the very prominent snout, the 
great body depth, the small rough scales, and 
the patch of dense setae caudally on the body. 
The color was noted as gray-violet with brown 
spots; there were lines of white marks on the 
side and a white band in the humeral region. 
His choice of words in the brief description 
was very similar to that of Cuvier and Valen- 
ciennes (1835: 245). No meristic data were 
given, but there is little question that this 
author was describing a Zebrasoma. Gunther 
(1861: 343) considered Guichenot’s citing of 
scopas from Cuba as a "most remarkable fact." 
L. Bertin kindly checked for the specimen in 
the Paris Museum for me but could find no 
record of it. It seems possible that Guichenot’s 
record is an error. To my knowledge there has 
been no further mention of Zebrasoma from 
the Atlantic. 
397 
Fig. 1. Camera lucida drawings of upper^ and 
lower teeth of Zebrasoma and Paracanthurus. Teeth 
were taken from right side of jaws near center 
and drawn in inner or lingual view; the upper is to the 
left in each pair, a , Z. veliferum, 171 mm. specimen, 
Gilbert Islands; b, Z. gemmatum , 121 mm. specimen, 
Mauritius; c, Z. xanthurum, 181 mm. specimen, Red 
Sea; d , Z. rostratum , 140 mm. specimen, Tuamotu 
Archipelago; e, Z. flavescens, 100 mm. specimen, John- 
ston Island; /, Z. scopas, 108 mm. specimen, Philippine 
Islands; g, P. hepatus, 155 mm. specimen, Philippine 
Islands. 
KEY TO THE SPECIES OF ZEBRASOMA 
la. Dorsal rays IV, 28 to 33; anal soft rays 
22 to 26; longest dorsal ray 2.1 to 2.5 in 
standard length (in specimens over 50 
mm. in length); body with alternate pale 
and dark, vertical bands 
Zebrasoma veliferum 
lb. Dorsal fin rays IV or V, 23 to 28; anal 
soft rays 19 to 24; longest dorsal ray 2.8 
to 3.7 in standard length (in specimens 
