Bluelip Parrotfish

Cryptotomus roseus Cope

Cryptotomus roseus Cope, 1871, p. 462, figs. 1, la.—Schultz, 1958, p. 127, pls. 5C, 25C.

Coloration bluish gray dorsally; head green, bluish white ventrally; red stripe from upper edge of opercular opening almost to caudal fin base, bordered above and below by white lines; 2 narrow red or blue lines from corner of mouth to eye; several red spots below and behind eye; orange to red dashes on pectoral base, blue spot at base of upper rays; black spot at upper part of pectoral base may be absent on small young.

RANGE.—Western Atlantic Ocean.

Nicholsina Fowler, 1915, p. 3.

Characterized by having 4 median predorsal scales; flexible dorsal spines, gill membranes attached to isthmus, with narrow free fold across isthmus; anterior nostril with short free simple dermal flap not quite reaching posterior nasal opening; external incisor-like teeth at front of both jaws, curving and almost opposing each other; canine teeth may occur at sides of upper dental plate in young and adults; angle between dorsal and ventral profiles of head about 70° to 80°.

RANGE.—Eastern, central and western Atlantic Ocean, and eastern Pacific Ocean.

Nicholsina ustus ustus (Cuvier and Valenciennes)

Callyodon ustus Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1839, p. 286, pl. 405.

Nicholsina ustus.—Schultz, 1958, 128, pl. 25D.—Cervigon, 1961, p. 40 [Venezuela]; 1966, p. 636.

Nicholsina ustus ustus Schultz, 1968, pp. 1–5.

This paragraph applies to both subspecies of N. ustus: Characterized by having pectoral base same color as body; spiny dorsal rays not ending distally in a filament; distal edge of caudal fin not white; least preorbital width broad, 0.6 to 0.7 into interorbital space; distance from tip of snout to rictus 1.6 to 1.7 times in snout; eye twice in preorbital width.

The following applies only to N. u. ustus: Total number of gill rakers on first arch 9 to 12 (rarely 12) average 10.53; number of denticles in outer posterior row of dentary 9 to 20; increasing in number with increase in length.

RANGE.—Central and western Atlantic Ocean.