Scarus ferrugineus Forsskål 1775

Scarus marshalli Schultz

Scarus marshalli Schultz 1958, p. 88, fig. 24.

Callyodon marshalli.—Smith, 1959, p. 280, fig. 10.

The following counts were made on specimens from IIOE (Sta. HA–36, 7 January 1969, Red Sea, 27°17’23”N, 33°48′ 52” E, 6 spec, 173–323 mm standard length): predorsal scales 6 in each specimen, pectoral rays ii,13 in 12 counts and ii,14 in one. Cheek scales: dorsal row, 5 in 1, 6 in 11 counts; middle row, 5 in 4 counts, and 6 in 8 counts; ventral row, 1 scale in 2 counts, 2 in 5, 3 in 4 and 4 in 1 count; lips not covering the green teeth.

Dr. Steinitz loaned a 370-mm specimen from the Red Sea, which has 3 indistinct broad vertical bars and the posterior part of the body with lengthwise dark streaks on each scale row.

Six specimens from the Red Sea confirm the validity of this species: USNM 202663 and 202668 (collected by IIOE, Sta. HA36, 7 January 1965). The color pattern shows 3 vertical bars on side below dorsal fin instead of one as illustrated by Schultz (1958, fig. 24). Two Kodachrome slides show caudal peduncle and caudal fin to be yellow, anal fins orange, soft dorsal fin yellow on one and green for the other. There is no yellow bar at base of pectoral fin.

RANGE.—Western Indian Ocean and Red Sea.

Scarus compressus (Osburn and Nichols)

Callyodon compressus Osburn and Nichols, 1916, p. 171, fig. 13

Scarus californiensis [not Pellegrin] Schultz, 1958, p. 91, fig. 18.—Hobson, 1965, p. 294 [behavior].

Characterized by having 6 median predorsal scales, 3 rows of scales on the cheek, usually 1 scale in 3rd row (rarely 2 or 0 on one side); ii,12 pectoral fin rays; lips usually not covering green teeth of adults; caudal fin truncate; body 2.0 to 2.4 times in length.

Coloration (by permission from Rosenblatt and Hobson, in ms.) bright green or blue, centers of scales green, margins orange, caudal peduncle becoming plain green; head pink, with green streaks radiating from eye; band from eye to mouth, thence across snout; bar across chin; distal margin of pectoral pale; dorsal with base and distal edge blue, center orange; anal blue or green, with pink streaks along interadial membranes.

RANGE.—Eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

Scarus scaber Cuvier and Valenciennes

Scarus scaber [in part] Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1839, p. 239 [lectotype selected by Schultz (1958, p. 92) at Paris Museum, Catalog no. 588; the other specimen, Catalog no. 1733, is S. taeniurus Cuvier and Valenciennes].—Schultz, 1958, p. 92, pls. 3C, 18A.

Callyodon mutabilis Gray, 1854, p. 86.—Marshall, 1965, p. 322.

Pseudoscarus flavomaculatus Bliss, 1883, p. 57.

Callyodon zonular is Jordan and Scale, 1906, p. 321, fig. 60.

Pseudoscarus caudofasciatus var. zonularis.—Günther, 1909, p. 312, pl. 153B [not pl. 153A, which is S. rubrofasciatus].

Callyodon fuscocuneus Fowler, 1935, p. 158, fig. 28.

Callyodon scaber.—Smith, 1956, p. 10, pl. 41G; 1959, p. 279, pl. 41G.

Characterized by having 5 or 6 median predorsal scales, 3 rows of scales on cheek, with 2 or 3 scales in ventral row, ii,12 pectoral fin rays; lips covering white teeth. Coloration consists of 4 or 5 dark bars, mostly on upper sides, separated by pale (yellowish when alive) interspaces; no black spot at dorsal edge of pectoral base; median fins pink; pelvics pink; pectoral with upper half pink.

Schultz incorrectly included Pseudoscarus caudofasciatus Günther, 1862 (p. 238), Playfair and Günther, 1866 (p. 108), and Callyodon caudofasciatus Smith, 1956 (p. 10), as a synonym of S. Scaber. Scarus caudofasciatus is a valid species.

I have examined 19 specimens, 20 to 162 mm, USNM 202377, 202379, and 202385, recently collected by the Te Vega Expedition in the Solomon Islands and Indonesia.

RANGE.—Central and western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.

Scarus oviceps Cuvier and Valenciennes

Scarus oviceps Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1839, p. 244.—Schultz, 1958, p. 93, pl. 18B.—Kamohara, 1963, p. 17, pl. 5: fig. 3 [Japan].—Kamohara and Yamakawa, 1967, p. 14 [Isigakijima].

Callyodon oviceps.—Fourmanoir, 1957, p. 185 [Nosy Iranja].—Munro, 1967, p. 439, fig. 837 [New Guinea].

Scarus pectoralis Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1839, p. 269.—Schultz, 1958, p. 99, fig. 25, pl. 19D.—Kamohara, 1963, p. 9, pl. 6: fig. 2 [Japan].—Kamohara and Yamakawa, 1967, p. 14 [Isigakijima].

Pseudoscarus pectoralis.—Günther, 1909, p. 324, pl. 158.

Pseudoscarus zonatus Macleay, 1883, p. 591.

Pseudoscarus knerii Steindachner, 1887, 96, p. 64, pl. 4: fig. 1.

Callyodon lazulinus Jordan and Seale, 1906, p. 333, fig. 65.—Smith, 1956, 13, pl. 42K.

Callyodon elerae Jordan and Seale, 1907, p. 31, fig. 11.

Callyodon cyanognathus.—Smith, 1959, p. 271, pl. 42K.

Characterized by having 6 or 7 median predorsal scales, 3 rows of scales on cheek with 3 or 4 scales in ventral row; ii,12 pectoral fin rays; lips nearly covering white teeth, blue in adult males. Color pattern of probable females: head dark dorsally, abruptly pale below a line from snout past lower edge of orbit to above dorsal edge of pectoral fin base near angle of opercle; dark back broken by 2, rarely 3, light yellowish bars that slant ventrally as they extend anteriorly.

Male: A blue streak extends from middle of snout past lower edge of eye to rear of opercle, separating the dark dorso-anterior coloration from the yellowish color below blue streak; body abruptly pale behind dorsal spines VII or VIII; anal fin broadly blue distally, pink basally, dorsal fin with similar color pattern; teeth blue. No yellowish bars along back.

Randall (1963, p. 226) has suggested that Scarus pectoralis Cuvier and Valenciennes is the adult male of Scarus oviceps Cuvier and Valenciennes. This suggestion by Dr. Randall, although probably correct, needs further confirmation in the field.

Schultz confused Scarus cyanognathus Bleeker, 1849, with this species; Smith (1959, p. 271) thinks S. cyanognathus is a valid species. The anal fin of “pectoralis” has a very wide color band distally, and a narrower one basally, whereas S. cyanognathos as illustrated by Bleeker has 3 bands.

I have studied the following specimens recently collected by John Randall: USNM 202390, Papeete Market, Tahiti, 21 April 1963, 4 spec, 195–230 mm; USNM 202378, Matiti Island, Takahou Atoll, Tuomotu Islands, 15 April 1957, 3 spec. 205–225 mm.

Other specimens: Te Vega Expedition: USNM 202380, Cruise 6, Sta. 216, 2 February 1965, Borneo, 1 spec, 178 mm; USNM 202384 and 202387, Cruise 7, Sta. 259, 16 April 1965, Pen Bay, Vanikoro Island, 4 spec, 87–205 mm; USNM 202389, Sta. 104, 30 November 1963, Mentawei Island, Indonesia, 4 spec, 124–166 mm.

The IIOE collected one specimen at Diego Garcia Atoll, Sta. HA–67–7, 15 June 1967, 200 mm.

RANGE.—Central and western Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea.