g4 FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Genus Monacanthus Oken 



A. Body depth relatively shallow, 31.3 to 38.6% S.L. (fig. 36). Head relatively long on specimens larger than 40 mm. 



S.L., 33.1 to 36.1% S.L. Snout relatively long on specimens larger than 30 mm. S.L., 25.4 to 28.1% S.L 



Monacanthus tucker i . 



AA. Body depth relatively great, 39.1 to 54.5% S.L. (fig. 36). Head relatively short on specimens larger than 40 mm. 



S.L., 29.0 to 33.3% S.L. Snout relatively short on specimens larger than 30 mm. S.L., 21.9 to 25.7% S.L 



Monacanthus ciliatus. 



Genus Stephanolepis Gill 



A. Dorsal rays usually 31 to 34, rarely 29, 30, or 35. Anal rays usually 31 to 34, rarely 30 or 35 (table 10). Pigment 

 pattern of preserved specimens between about 27 and 65 mm. S.L. consisting of a longitudinal arrangement of relatively 

 few, small, dark dashes in several rows and several relatively large, dark, oblique or vertical blotches on the sides; the 

 breast and snout without small flecks of pigment; and two moderately distinct dusky bars of about equal intensity on 

 the caudal fin (fig. 31). On larger specimens the body dashes and caudal bars tend to become indistinct, the blotches 

 on the sides become larger and more irregular, and the breast and snout become generally darker, but still lack a spotted 

 effect ' _ Stephanolepis hispidus. 



AA. Dorsal rays usually 27 to 29, rarely 30. Anal rays usually 27 to 29, rarely 26 or 30 (table 10) . Pigment pattern of 

 preserved specimens between about 27 and 65 mm. S.L. consisting of a relatively greater number of rows of dark dashes 

 (which are more sharply defined and which give a broken-lines effect to the sides) and relatively small vertical or oblique 

 blotches present on the sides; the breast and snout with few to many small flecks or spots of pigment; and two very 

 distinct bars on the caudal fin, the anterior bar the darker (fig. 31). On larger specimens the body dashes and blotches 

 and the caudal bars are less distinct, but the broken-lines effect on the sides and the spots on the breast and snout 

 remain apparent ' Stephanolepis seiifer. 



Genus Amanses Gray 



A. A single species Amanses pullus. 



DESCRIPTION OF GENERA AND SPECIES the more common acceptance of this name. In 



addition, Gill (1884: p. 417) gives "Monacanthini, 



Monacanthidae is the correct name for this Nardo . . . 1844" as the name used earhest and 



group of fishes, although the name Aluteridae ^^^^ gj^^g ^y^ Q^j^er uses of Monacanthus as a 



was used by Fraser-Brunner (1941: p. 176) and family group name that predate the first use of 



others. Whitley (1929: p. 138) stated that ^/tt^era (in 1873) as a family group name (p. 416). 



"Aluterus Cloquet is an earUer name than ^^j^g separation of Monacanthidae (under the 



Monacanthus Shinz, the first Latinization of name of Aluteridae) as a family distinct from 



'Les Monacanthes' Cuvier, so the family hitherto Balistidae by Fraser-Brunner (1941) provides 



known as Monacanthidae should be named adequate justification for this subjective distinc- 



Aluteridae." Two factors govern the propriety ^^^^^ although some recent authors have not 



of family names— priority of the generic names acknowledged the separation and have treated 



as they have been used as family names, and, Monacanthidae as a subfamily of Balistidae. 



especially in the case of well-known groups, the j^^ addition to the trenchant characters given by 



generally used and accepted name that has become Fraser-Brunner, comparison of larval forms — 



attached to a family (International Trust for larval Monacanthidae are very laterally com- 



Zoological Nomenclature, 1953: p. 33, art. 45(1)). pressed, contrasted with the laterally expanded 



Both of these factors apply to the acceptability and rotund larval Balistidae— provides additional 



of the name Monacanthidae. A review of the reason for the famihal separation. Fraser- 



literature and abstracting journals clearly supports Brunner's (1941: p. 176) separation follows: 



The division Balistiformes of the suborder Balistoidea consists of two families, which are separable as follows: 

 I. Palatine T-shaped, the foot of the T movablv articulated with the ectopterygoid. 8 outer teeth m each jaw; 6 inner 

 ones in upper jaw. 2 or no caudal vertebrae with epipleurals. 5 precaudal interneurals; ^ 4 formmg trough for spmous 

 dorsal fin, the first movably articulated between exoccipitals, the others free from skull; the fifth formmg a prop between 

 trough and vertebral column. Distal ends of caudal interneurals and interhaemals not expanded. 3 dorsal spines. 

 Scales moderate or small, in regular series, imbricate. All soft fins with branched rays Balistidae. 



1 The described pigmentations develop between 22 and 27 mm. S.L. We record specimens that have 30 soft rays In the dorsal or anal fins and lack 

 the definitive pigment pattern as specifically unidentifiable. 



> "Excepting one, which may be thickened, in series with the caudal interneurals, in front of soft dorsal fin" (Fraser-Brumier, 1941; p. 176). 



