130. ORTHAGORISCID.E MOLA. 865 



. Skin thin, armed with stout spines; vertical fins not confluent; body deeper than 

 long (Molacanthi-nce) MOLACANTHUS, 485. 



aa. Skin thick, granular or tessellated; vertical fins falcate, confluent hehind. (Or- 



thagoriscince.) 

 b. Body not twice as long as deep; skin without hexagonal plates MOLA, 486. 



45 MOJLACANTHUS Swaiuson. 

 (Pallasia Nardo: Acanlhosoma Dekay. ) 



(Swaiuson, Class. Fish. etc. ii, 329, 1839: type Diodon mola P 'alias = Holacantlms pallasi 

 Sw. = Diodon nummularis Walb.) 



Body suborbicular, much compressed, deeper than long, covered by 

 a thin silvery skin on which are many strong spines. Dorsal and anal 

 fins high and short, not confluent, the space on the tail between them 

 occupied by a row of small spines; pectorals moderate. These small 

 fishes have been generally considered as the young of Mola. The fact 

 that they are not so was first conclusively shown by Prof. Putnam (Am. 

 Nat. Dec. 1870). The species inhabit the open seas. (Mola; axdvda, 

 spine.) 



133. Iff. iiummuiaris (Walb.) Gill. 



Olive brown above ; sides and below iridescent silvery. Body verti- 

 cally oval, higher than long; spines on body scattered, striated on sides. 

 Head more than half length, which is little more than depth. D.. 25. 

 (Dekay.) Atlantic Ocean; rare on our coast. L. about 2 inches. 



(Diodon nummnlaris Walbaum, Artedi, Pise. 1792, 600: Acanthosoma carinatum De- 

 kay, New York Fauna, Fish. 330: Holacanthus pallasi Putnam, 1. c.) 







486. ITIOL.A Cuvier. 

 (Orthagoriscm Bloch & Schneider.) 



(Cuvier, Lecous d'Auat. Comp. 1800 (fide Gill): type Orihagoriscus mola Bloch & 

 Sclmeider= Mola rotunda Cuvier.) 



Body ovate, strongly compressed, covered with a thick, rough, leath- 

 ery, elastic skin, which is without bony plates. Profile forming a pro- 

 jecting fleshy nose above the mouth. Dorsal fin beginning not far be- 

 hind pectorals, short and high, falcate, confluent with the anal around 

 the tail; no large spines on the body. Clumsy fishes,, found in most 

 warm seas, reaching a great size. (Latin mola, a millstone.) 



1339. ITI. rotunda Cuv.Sun-fish; Head-fish; Mola. 



Dark gray; sides grayish brown, with silvery reflections; belly dusky; 

 a broad blackish bar running along the bases of the dorsal, caudal, and 

 Bull. Nat. Mas. No. 16 55 



