FISHES OF NEW YORK 611 



upper from above the snout to the root of the pectoral; a black 

 light-edged line, similarly curved below the eye; several other 

 similar lines radiating from the eye; caudal fin margined above 

 and below with bluish, and with an intramarginal bluish band; 

 dorsal and anal fins with transverse bluish bands; young with 

 some irregular oblique black lines following the rows of scales. 

 The blue-striped triggerfish is common in the West Indies 

 and occurs occasionally northward on our coast as far as Cape 

 Cod. According to Dr Smith it is found in Vineyard Sound 

 every season, mostly in September, adult specimens being taken 

 in some numbers in the traps at Menemsha. During summer 

 and fall the young, 1-| or 2 inches long, are found at the surface 

 in Vineyard sound in gulf weed and also around the shoren. 



Family MONACA^THIIDAE; 



File fishes 



Genus MONACANTHUS Cuvier 



Body short and deep, very strongly compressed, covered with 

 minute, rough scales. Mouth very small; upper jaw with a 

 double series of incisorlike teeth, usually 6 in the outer and 

 4 in the inner series; lower jaw with about 6 incisors in a single 

 series; teeth connivent, unequal; gill opening a small slit, shorter 

 than the eye, nearly vertical, below the posterior part of the 

 eye, and just in front of upper edge of pectoral. Dorsal spine 

 large, armed with two series of retrorse barbs, and no conspicu- 

 ous filaments; second dorsal and anal fins similar to each other, 

 of about 25 to 35 rays each; caudal fin moderate, rounded: pelvic 

 bone with a blunt, movable spine, the bone connected by a mov- 

 able flap of varying size; side of tail often with a patch of spines, 

 specially in the males. Vertebrae 7+11 to 14=18 to 21. 

 Species very numerous, in warm seas, most of them reaching a 

 small size. All are lean fishes with leathery skin and bitter 

 flesh, unsuited for food. 



Subgenus STEPHANOLEPIS Gill 

 296 Monacanthus hispidus (Linnaeus) 

 FilefisJi 



nalistes hispidus LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. XII, 405, 1766, Carolina. 

 Balistes broccus MITCHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 467, 1815, 

 New York, 



