11a Least depth of C peduncle 13-14%, longest
D spine 11-12% SL; terminal male with dark blue
crescent (black in preservative) in C and green
band across cheek at level of mouth ....................... S. atrilunula
11b Least depth of C peduncle 14-16%, longest D
spine 12-14% SL; terminal male without dark
crescent in C and lacking green band across
cheek ......................................... [So japanensis (Bloch, 1788)]
12a Median predorsal scales usually 7; P 14; ............................... 13
12b Median predorsal scales usually 5 or 6 (more
often 6); P 14-16 ............................................................. 14
13a Dental plates blue-green; initial phase reddish
brown, scales of side of body grey with brown
spots and short lines; head with dull green bands
on lips, chin and extending anteriorly and posteriorly
from eye; terminal male dark green, scales edged
with dark reddish; head with the same green bands
except for a broad irregular one from upper edge
of eye to a greenish yellow spot at upper end of
gill opening; penultimate A ray prolonged in
terminal male, 1.5-1.6 in head .................................... S. niger
13b Dental plates white; initial phase yellow to light
reddish brown with 5 dark brown stripes on side of
body; no green markings on head; terminal male
green on lower half of head and body posterior to
a vertical at base of 5th D ray; rest of head and
body green with numerous small orange spots and
short irregular lines; penultimate A ray not
prolonged, its length about 2 in head. [So frenatus Lacepede, 1802]
14a Median predorsal scales usually 5; P 14; initial
phase brown to greyish brown with 3 whitish
stripes on abdomen following centres of scale
rows; terminal male green with an orange bar on
each scale except on abdomen, where green is
arranged in 3 stripes, and anterodorsally,
where green is broken into small spots; salmon
pink stripe edged in blue-green from front of
snout through eye, and narrow blue-green bands
radiating dorsally from eye; a blackish spot at
or near base of 4th D spine ................................... S. globiceps
14b Median predorsal scales usually 6; P 14-16;
colour not as in 14a ......................................................... 15
15a P nearly always 14 .......................................................... 16
15b P 15 (rarely 16) .............................................................. 17
16a Scales in 3rd row on cheek 1-4; no canine teeth on
dental plates; upper part of body of initial phase
yellowish with 4 dark grey bars or blotches; lower
part of body light yellowish to pinkish white;
terminal male green, the edges of scales salmon
pink, except body anterior to demarcation from
base of 8th D spine and dorsal part of head,
which are dark grey; edge of upper lip narrowly
salmon pink; a broad band of blue-green above
this, joined at corner of mouth with a similar band
on lower lip and extending across upper cheek to
edge of operculum ................................................. S. scaber
221: SCARIDAE (PARROTFISHES)
16b Scales in 3rd row on cheek 3-6; terminal males
and occasional large initial-phase fish with 1 or 2
canine teeth at rear of upper dental plate; initial
phase dark purplish to blackish, shading on side
to blue with black edges on scales and ventrally
to orange-yellow, the truncate to emarginate C
light red; terminal male green, the edges of scales
salmon pink; head lavender dorsally with 2 narrow
blue-green stripes, 1 through dorsal part of eye
and 1 passing from base of upper lip ventral to
eye; broadly lunate C blue with a salmon pink
crescent, the ends of which pass into lobe
tips.................................................................... S. tricolor
17a Posterior nostril oval, 2-5 times larger than anterior;
3rd row of scales on cheek, when present, usually
with 1 scale; initial phase yellow, the centres
of scales blue, often with 5 blue bars on body;
terminal male light green, the scales edged with
salmon pink (green dominating dorsally and pale
salmon ventrally); a broad irregular band of
green across lower cheek (below scales); dental
plates pale salmon .............................................. S. ghobban
17b Posterior nostril at most slightly larger than
anterior; 3rd row of cheek scales with 1-4 scales;
colour not as in 17a; dental plates of terminal
male blue-green ............................................................. 18
18a P 1.4-1.55 in head; GR 51-55; initial phase dark
reddish brown on head and body anterior to 8th
D spine; rest of body light red with 3 dark reddish
brown bars; terminal male with broad purplish
grey bar dorsally on body anterior to base of 6th
D spine, gradually shading to dull orange on head;
rest of body blue-green, the scales edged in salmon
dorsally, soon yielding on side to pale salmon; a
broad dark blue-green band above upper lip,
narrowing abruptly as it passes to front edge of
orbit; a dark blue-green band along edge of lower
lip and another on chin ................................. S. caudofasciatus
18b P 1.2-1.45 in head; GR 55-65; initial phase dark
olive grey, shading to red on abdomen, chest
and ventrally on head, with scattered small whitish
spots on body (more numerous posteriorly);
terminal male dull blue-green, the scales narrowly
edged in reddish, with a very broad blue-green band
beginning anteriorly on head (except area of
orange around mouth), covering all of cheek,
continuing on upper chest, and narrowing as
it passes on side of abdomen and along base
of A to lower edge of C peduncle; ventral part
of head and body orange below blue-green
band .......................................... [So falcipinnis Playfair, 1867]
221.6 Scarus atrilunu/a
Randall & Bruce, 1983
PLATES 107, 108 & 110
Blue moon parrotfish
Bloumaan-papegaaivis
Callyodon capistratoides (non Bleeker): Smith, 1956: 6*; 1959: 268, Fig
A. Scarus atrilunula Randall & Bruce, 1983: 9, PI. 4, Figs. A & B
(Shimoni, Kenya).
711
D spine 11-12% SL; terminal male with dark blue
crescent (black in preservative) in C and green
band across cheek at level of mouth ....................... S. atrilunula
11b Least depth of C peduncle 14-16%, longest D
spine 12-14% SL; terminal male without dark
crescent in C and lacking green band across
cheek ......................................... [So japanensis (Bloch, 1788)]
12a Median predorsal scales usually 7; P 14; ............................... 13
12b Median predorsal scales usually 5 or 6 (more
often 6); P 14-16 ............................................................. 14
13a Dental plates blue-green; initial phase reddish
brown, scales of side of body grey with brown
spots and short lines; head with dull green bands
on lips, chin and extending anteriorly and posteriorly
from eye; terminal male dark green, scales edged
with dark reddish; head with the same green bands
except for a broad irregular one from upper edge
of eye to a greenish yellow spot at upper end of
gill opening; penultimate A ray prolonged in
terminal male, 1.5-1.6 in head .................................... S. niger
13b Dental plates white; initial phase yellow to light
reddish brown with 5 dark brown stripes on side of
body; no green markings on head; terminal male
green on lower half of head and body posterior to
a vertical at base of 5th D ray; rest of head and
body green with numerous small orange spots and
short irregular lines; penultimate A ray not
prolonged, its length about 2 in head. [So frenatus Lacepede, 1802]
14a Median predorsal scales usually 5; P 14; initial
phase brown to greyish brown with 3 whitish
stripes on abdomen following centres of scale
rows; terminal male green with an orange bar on
each scale except on abdomen, where green is
arranged in 3 stripes, and anterodorsally,
where green is broken into small spots; salmon
pink stripe edged in blue-green from front of
snout through eye, and narrow blue-green bands
radiating dorsally from eye; a blackish spot at
or near base of 4th D spine ................................... S. globiceps
14b Median predorsal scales usually 6; P 14-16;
colour not as in 14a ......................................................... 15
15a P nearly always 14 .......................................................... 16
15b P 15 (rarely 16) .............................................................. 17
16a Scales in 3rd row on cheek 1-4; no canine teeth on
dental plates; upper part of body of initial phase
yellowish with 4 dark grey bars or blotches; lower
part of body light yellowish to pinkish white;
terminal male green, the edges of scales salmon
pink, except body anterior to demarcation from
base of 8th D spine and dorsal part of head,
which are dark grey; edge of upper lip narrowly
salmon pink; a broad band of blue-green above
this, joined at corner of mouth with a similar band
on lower lip and extending across upper cheek to
edge of operculum ................................................. S. scaber
221: SCARIDAE (PARROTFISHES)
16b Scales in 3rd row on cheek 3-6; terminal males
and occasional large initial-phase fish with 1 or 2
canine teeth at rear of upper dental plate; initial
phase dark purplish to blackish, shading on side
to blue with black edges on scales and ventrally
to orange-yellow, the truncate to emarginate C
light red; terminal male green, the edges of scales
salmon pink; head lavender dorsally with 2 narrow
blue-green stripes, 1 through dorsal part of eye
and 1 passing from base of upper lip ventral to
eye; broadly lunate C blue with a salmon pink
crescent, the ends of which pass into lobe
tips.................................................................... S. tricolor
17a Posterior nostril oval, 2-5 times larger than anterior;
3rd row of scales on cheek, when present, usually
with 1 scale; initial phase yellow, the centres
of scales blue, often with 5 blue bars on body;
terminal male light green, the scales edged with
salmon pink (green dominating dorsally and pale
salmon ventrally); a broad irregular band of
green across lower cheek (below scales); dental
plates pale salmon .............................................. S. ghobban
17b Posterior nostril at most slightly larger than
anterior; 3rd row of cheek scales with 1-4 scales;
colour not as in 17a; dental plates of terminal
male blue-green ............................................................. 18
18a P 1.4-1.55 in head; GR 51-55; initial phase dark
reddish brown on head and body anterior to 8th
D spine; rest of body light red with 3 dark reddish
brown bars; terminal male with broad purplish
grey bar dorsally on body anterior to base of 6th
D spine, gradually shading to dull orange on head;
rest of body blue-green, the scales edged in salmon
dorsally, soon yielding on side to pale salmon; a
broad dark blue-green band above upper lip,
narrowing abruptly as it passes to front edge of
orbit; a dark blue-green band along edge of lower
lip and another on chin ................................. S. caudofasciatus
18b P 1.2-1.45 in head; GR 55-65; initial phase dark
olive grey, shading to red on abdomen, chest
and ventrally on head, with scattered small whitish
spots on body (more numerous posteriorly);
terminal male dull blue-green, the scales narrowly
edged in reddish, with a very broad blue-green band
beginning anteriorly on head (except area of
orange around mouth), covering all of cheek,
continuing on upper chest, and narrowing as
it passes on side of abdomen and along base
of A to lower edge of C peduncle; ventral part
of head and body orange below blue-green
band .......................................... [So falcipinnis Playfair, 1867]
221.6 Scarus atrilunu/a
Randall & Bruce, 1983
PLATES 107, 108 & 110
Blue moon parrotfish
Bloumaan-papegaaivis
Callyodon capistratoides (non Bleeker): Smith, 1956: 6*; 1959: 268, Fig
A. Scarus atrilunula Randall & Bruce, 1983: 9, PI. 4, Figs. A & B
(Shimoni, Kenya).
711