398 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol IX, October, 1955 
over 50 mm. in length); body without 
alternate pale and dark, vertical bands . . 2 
2a. Dorsal fin rays V (rarely IV), 23 to 26; 
anal soft rays 19 to 22; denticulations on 
lateral edge of upper teeth decidedly 
smaller than medial denticulations (Fig. 
1 c-f); body and dorsal and anal fins 
without spots (except longitudinal lines 
on scopas broken into fine spots anteriorly 
on the body) 3 
2b. Dorsal fin rays (based on 2 specimens) 
IV, 28; anal soft rays 24; denticulations 
on both edges of teeth of equal size 
(Fig. lb); body and dorsal and anal fins 
with numerous white (said to be blue in 
life) spots .... Zebrasoma gemmatum 
3a. Caudal fin abruptly pale (yellow in life) 
and in sharp contrast to dark body color; 
sheath of caudal spine black; profile of 
head from eye to upper lip only slightly 
concave Zebrasoma xanthurum 
3b. Caudal fin same color as body; sheath 
of caudal spine white; profile of head 
from, eye to upper lip markedly concave 
(as snout is strongly produced) 4 
4a. Body and fins not uniform black; lower 
teeth with 7 denticulations, the center- 
most only slightly larger than adjacent 
ones (Fig. lc, /) 5 
4b. Body and fins uniform black; lower teeth 
with 5 denticulations, the centermost 
about twice as large as adjacent ones 
(Fig. Id) Zebrasoma rostratum 
5a. Body pale (yellow in life); dorsal soft 
rays 24 to 26 (usually 25); anal soft rays 
19 to 22 (usually 20 or 21) 
Zebrasoma flavescens 
5b. Body brown with numerous pale longi- 
tudinal lines; dorsal soft rays 23 to 25 
(usually 24); anal soft rays 19 to 21 
(usually 19 or 20) . .Zebrasoma scopas 
Zebrasoma veliferum (Bloch) 
Fig. la; Fig. 2; Fig. 3; PI. 1 
Acanthurus velifer Bloch (1797: 106, pi. 427, 
fig. 1) (seas of East Indies); Lacepede 
(1802: 547); Riippell (1828: 58, pi. 15, fig. 
2) (Red Sea); Cuvier (1829: 224); Cuvier 
and Valenciennes (1835: 251) (Mauritius, 
East Indies, Red Sea); Gunther (1861: 344) 
(Fiji Islands) ; Playfair in Playfair and Gun- 
ther (1866: 57) (Zanzibar); Klunzinger 
(1871: 505) (Red Sea); Day (1876: 207) 
(seas of India); Sauvage (1891: 344) 
(Madagascar) . 
Acanthurus Velifer Bloch and Schneider (1801: 
xxxviii, 214). 
Acanthurus ( Harpurus ) velifer Klunzinger 
(1884: 85). 
Acanthurus Desjardinii Bennett (1835: 207) 
(Mauritius). 
Acanthurus desjardinii Gunther (1861: 344) 
(Mauritius); Playfair in Playfair and Gun- 
ther (1866: 57) (Zanzibar). 
Acanthurus Ruppellii Bennett (1835: 207) (Red 
Sea); Bleeker (1855: 451) (Kokos Island, 
Sumatra) . 
Acanthurus ruppellii Gunther (1861: 345) (Red 
Sea). 
Acanthurus Blochii Bennett (1835: 207) (India). 
Zebrasoma velifer Swainson (1839: 256); Herre 
(1934: 63) (Philippine Islands). 
Fig. 2. Zebrasoma veliferum (Bloch), 183 mm., Gil- 
bert Islands (reproduced from a 35 mm. Kodachrome 
transparency). 
