128. BALISTID.E MONACANTHUS. 857 



blotched. Body rather deep. Jaws subequal; eyes large, more than 

 & length of siiout. Gill-opeuing about as long as 'eye, separated from 

 the eye by an interspace nearly equal to its length. Anterior profile 

 slightly concave. Dorsal spine somewhat shorter than snout, inserted 

 above posterior part of eye, stout, rough, armed behind with 2 rows of 

 retrorse barbs. First ray of soft dorsal said to be sometimes filament- 

 ous (not so in our specimens) ; pectorals small. Pelvic bone long, end- 

 ing in a short, blunt, movable spine, beyond which the abdominal flap 

 does not extend; length of free edge of flap when expanded not greater 

 than diameter of eye. Scales minute, each with a crest of about 3 

 prickles, those on caudal peduncle villous, those on the ventral flap 

 larger, elongate; no naked areas; no recurved spines on tail. Head 

 3f ; depth If. D. 1-32; A. 32. L. 6 inches. Cape Cod to Tropical 

 Seas; abundant on our South Atlantic coast. 



(BaUstes Iroccus Mitch. Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. i, 467, 1815: Monacanthus Iroccus, 

 massacliusettensix, and setifer Dels.. N. Y. Fauna, Fish. 1842, 335-337: Monacanthus mas- 

 sachuscttensis Storer, Fish. Mass. 425 : Monacanthus setifer (in part) Giiuther, yiii, 240 : 

 SlepJianolqns setifer Gill.) 



1323. M. davidsoni Cope. 



Brown, with 5 longitudinal bands with pale centres, the upper and 

 lower forming 3 dark blotches at the base of dorsal and anal; head 

 unspotted; caudal with a brown cross-baud. Scales with 3 scutes on 

 a common base; longer, slender, recurved spines on tail, in 2 clusters 

 of 3 each; sides with slender scattered filaments. Dorsal spine with 

 strong teeth, its height one-half depth of body. Pelvic plate elongate, 

 spinons all around. Depth 2^. D. 1-30; A. 28. Florida Eeef. (Cope.) 



(Cope, Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc. Phila. xiv, 476, 1870.) 



1324. M. spilonottis Cope. 



Light-brown; some longitudinal lines just below the dorsal fin, the 

 median developing a dark spot below the middle of the soft dorsal. 

 Scales each supporting a pedicle, whose summit divides into 4 or 5 rad- 

 iating spines. Body elongate; outline of front straight. Dorsal spine 

 long, with simple teeth, 4 in length of body; dorsal and anal fins me- 

 dially elevated; no brush or spines on caudal peduncle. Pelvic shield 

 elongate, spinons all around, the movable portion present. Depth 2; 

 D. 1-32; A. 31. Gulf of Mexico. (Cope.) 



(Cope, Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc;. Phila. xiv, 476, 1870.) 



