221: SCARIDAE (PARROTFISHES)
KEY TO SPECIES (ADULTS)
la Median predorsal scales 3; adults with a prominent
hump above eye, the snout profile concave; C
slightly rounded; head and front of body deep
blue, the rear part green with scale edges and
fins dark blue; margins of median fins and lateral
edge of V bright blue ......................................... S. cyanescens
1 b Median predorsal scales 4-7; dorsal profile of
head and colour not as above; C varying from
slightly rounded to lunate .................................................. 2
2a Head profile rising steeply from mouth to
level of eye, then curving sharply to nearly straight
for rest of head; no rudimentary lateral row of
teeth on upper pharyngeal bones; initial phase
reddish except dorsally and on side of body, which
is yellowish grey with narrow blackish edges on
scales and short blackish markings; fins mainly
red; terminal male green dorsally, suffused with
purplish, yellowish on sides and pale blue-green
ventrally; upper lip narrowly salmon with a broad
blue-green band above; lower lip broadly blue-green
at margin; chin salmon, crossed by a blue-green
band joining that of lip to pass below eye ......... S. rubroviolaceus
2b Snout not shaped as in 2a; a row of rudimentary
teeth laterally on each upper pharyngeal bone;
colour not as in 2a ........................................................... 3
3a P 16 or 17 (rarely 15); scale rows on cheek 3,
usually with 5-7 scales in 3rd row; dorsal profile
of initial phase strongly convex, of terminal
male very steep from mouth to above level of
eye, then curving sharply to slightly convex for
remainder of head; initial phase primarily red;
terminal male green on body, the scale edges
pink or orange; dorsal part of head greenish
to violet; edges of lips blue-green; corner of
mouth orange; dental plates blue-green; a
large crescentic blue-green area posteriorly
in C ............................................... [So gibbus Riippell, 1828]
3b P 13-15 (rarely 16); cheek scales in 2 or 3 rows,
the 3rd usually with no more than 4 scales
(except S. tricolor); colour and dorsal profile of
head not as in 3a ............................................................. 4
4a Median predorsal scales usually 4; 2 or 3 rows
of cheek scales ................................................................ 5
4b Median predorsal scales usually 5-7; 3 rows of
cheek scales .................................................................. 12
5a P usually 14; lips cover half or more of dental
plates; 2 or 3 rows of cheek scales........................................ 6
5b P usually 15; lips cover less than half of dental
plates; 2 rows of cheek scales ............................................. 9
6a Scale rows on cheek 2; no pair of laterally
adjoining scales anterior to 1st median predorsal
scale ............................................................................. 7
6b Scale rows on cheek 3; a pair of small laterally
adjoining or slightly overlapping scales anterior
to first median predorsal scale ............................................ 8
710
7a C of initial phase slightly emarginate, of
terminal male deeply emarginate; maximum C
concavity 3 in head; median pre dorsal scales
subequal; dark brown spot basally at front of
1st interspinous membrane of D (more readily
seen on preserved specimens); initial phase
reddish brown without dark bars; lips without
bands of green or orange; terminal male not
abruptly darker on front of body; dorsal part of
snout of terminal male lavender grey (lavender
to violet in life) ................................................... S. psittacus
7b C of initial phase slightly rounded, becoming
double emarginate with lobes prolonged in
terminal male; maximum C concavity 5.5 in
head; 1st and 2nd median predorsal scales
largest; initial phase reddish brown, often with
5 dark bars on body; lips with transverse
bands of dull green and orange; terminal male
abruptly darker anterior to a line from base
of 9th D spine to A origin; dorsal part of snout
blue-green ........................................................... S. russelii
8a Dorsal profile of head strongly arid evenly convex;
C of terminal male slightly to moderately
emarginate, maximum C concavity 4.2 in head;
terminal male with a large patch of bright bluegreen on side of head anterior to eye . [So viridifucatus (Smith, 1956)]
8b Dorsal profile of head with prominence
anterodorsal to eye; C of terminal male lunate,
maximum C concavity about 1.4 in head;
large adults with 2 vertical green or blue-green
bands across interorbital space ................................ S. festivus
9a P about 1.4 and V about 1. 7 in head; head
profile of large adults with a break in contour
anterodorsal to eye; C of adults emarginate,
C concavity about 5.8 in head; not sexually
dichromatic; head and body mostly green; streak
of orange at corner of mouth and narrow circle
of lavender pink around eye ............................ S. enneacanthus
9b P 1.45-1.65 and V 1.85-2.15 in head; dorsal profile
of head evenly convex; C slightly rounded to
slightly emarginate; colour not lis in 9a ................................ 10
lOa First 2 median pre dorsal scales notably wider
than last 2; GR 42-51; initial phase dark brown,
becoming red around mouth, sometimes with
2 rows of whitish spots on side; terminal male
with green cheek and C green with longitudinal
streaks of salmon pink .......................................... S. sordidus
lOb First 2 median predorsal scales not notably wider
than last 2; GR 49-61; initial phase reddish brown
with an orange bar on each scale and 4 pale pink
bars on body; C and rear part of peduncle pale
pink, P yellow; terminal male pale green with
a salmon pink bar on each scale, a narrow bluegreen band from upper lip beneath eye to
opercular flap, a similar band extending anteriorly
and posteriorly from upper part of eye and one
posteriorly from middle of eye; head pale
below lower blue-green band; median fins light
orange, bordered with blue ............................................... II
KEY TO SPECIES (ADULTS)
la Median predorsal scales 3; adults with a prominent
hump above eye, the snout profile concave; C
slightly rounded; head and front of body deep
blue, the rear part green with scale edges and
fins dark blue; margins of median fins and lateral
edge of V bright blue ......................................... S. cyanescens
1 b Median predorsal scales 4-7; dorsal profile of
head and colour not as above; C varying from
slightly rounded to lunate .................................................. 2
2a Head profile rising steeply from mouth to
level of eye, then curving sharply to nearly straight
for rest of head; no rudimentary lateral row of
teeth on upper pharyngeal bones; initial phase
reddish except dorsally and on side of body, which
is yellowish grey with narrow blackish edges on
scales and short blackish markings; fins mainly
red; terminal male green dorsally, suffused with
purplish, yellowish on sides and pale blue-green
ventrally; upper lip narrowly salmon with a broad
blue-green band above; lower lip broadly blue-green
at margin; chin salmon, crossed by a blue-green
band joining that of lip to pass below eye ......... S. rubroviolaceus
2b Snout not shaped as in 2a; a row of rudimentary
teeth laterally on each upper pharyngeal bone;
colour not as in 2a ........................................................... 3
3a P 16 or 17 (rarely 15); scale rows on cheek 3,
usually with 5-7 scales in 3rd row; dorsal profile
of initial phase strongly convex, of terminal
male very steep from mouth to above level of
eye, then curving sharply to slightly convex for
remainder of head; initial phase primarily red;
terminal male green on body, the scale edges
pink or orange; dorsal part of head greenish
to violet; edges of lips blue-green; corner of
mouth orange; dental plates blue-green; a
large crescentic blue-green area posteriorly
in C ............................................... [So gibbus Riippell, 1828]
3b P 13-15 (rarely 16); cheek scales in 2 or 3 rows,
the 3rd usually with no more than 4 scales
(except S. tricolor); colour and dorsal profile of
head not as in 3a ............................................................. 4
4a Median predorsal scales usually 4; 2 or 3 rows
of cheek scales ................................................................ 5
4b Median predorsal scales usually 5-7; 3 rows of
cheek scales .................................................................. 12
5a P usually 14; lips cover half or more of dental
plates; 2 or 3 rows of cheek scales........................................ 6
5b P usually 15; lips cover less than half of dental
plates; 2 rows of cheek scales ............................................. 9
6a Scale rows on cheek 2; no pair of laterally
adjoining scales anterior to 1st median predorsal
scale ............................................................................. 7
6b Scale rows on cheek 3; a pair of small laterally
adjoining or slightly overlapping scales anterior
to first median predorsal scale ............................................ 8
710
7a C of initial phase slightly emarginate, of
terminal male deeply emarginate; maximum C
concavity 3 in head; median pre dorsal scales
subequal; dark brown spot basally at front of
1st interspinous membrane of D (more readily
seen on preserved specimens); initial phase
reddish brown without dark bars; lips without
bands of green or orange; terminal male not
abruptly darker on front of body; dorsal part of
snout of terminal male lavender grey (lavender
to violet in life) ................................................... S. psittacus
7b C of initial phase slightly rounded, becoming
double emarginate with lobes prolonged in
terminal male; maximum C concavity 5.5 in
head; 1st and 2nd median predorsal scales
largest; initial phase reddish brown, often with
5 dark bars on body; lips with transverse
bands of dull green and orange; terminal male
abruptly darker anterior to a line from base
of 9th D spine to A origin; dorsal part of snout
blue-green ........................................................... S. russelii
8a Dorsal profile of head strongly arid evenly convex;
C of terminal male slightly to moderately
emarginate, maximum C concavity 4.2 in head;
terminal male with a large patch of bright bluegreen on side of head anterior to eye . [So viridifucatus (Smith, 1956)]
8b Dorsal profile of head with prominence
anterodorsal to eye; C of terminal male lunate,
maximum C concavity about 1.4 in head;
large adults with 2 vertical green or blue-green
bands across interorbital space ................................ S. festivus
9a P about 1.4 and V about 1. 7 in head; head
profile of large adults with a break in contour
anterodorsal to eye; C of adults emarginate,
C concavity about 5.8 in head; not sexually
dichromatic; head and body mostly green; streak
of orange at corner of mouth and narrow circle
of lavender pink around eye ............................ S. enneacanthus
9b P 1.45-1.65 and V 1.85-2.15 in head; dorsal profile
of head evenly convex; C slightly rounded to
slightly emarginate; colour not lis in 9a ................................ 10
lOa First 2 median pre dorsal scales notably wider
than last 2; GR 42-51; initial phase dark brown,
becoming red around mouth, sometimes with
2 rows of whitish spots on side; terminal male
with green cheek and C green with longitudinal
streaks of salmon pink .......................................... S. sordidus
lOb First 2 median predorsal scales not notably wider
than last 2; GR 49-61; initial phase reddish brown
with an orange bar on each scale and 4 pale pink
bars on body; C and rear part of peduncle pale
pink, P yellow; terminal male pale green with
a salmon pink bar on each scale, a narrow bluegreen band from upper lip beneath eye to
opercular flap, a similar band extending anteriorly
and posteriorly from upper part of eye and one
posteriorly from middle of eye; head pale
below lower blue-green band; median fins light
orange, bordered with blue ............................................... II