OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 355 



141 . — MoNACANTHUS ClIEVERTI. 



Plate XVII. , fig. 3. 

 D. 1^-24, A. 21. 



Dorsal spine rough, but without barbs. Ventral spine present 

 and moveable. Scales not very small. On each side, on, and in 

 advance of the tail are two and a half series of black-rooted and 

 recurved spines. Height of body, one-half of the length without 

 the caudal tin. Distance from snout to eye, one-third of the total 

 length. Dorsal spine taking its rise close behind the vertical 

 from the pectoral, which is perpendicular to the hinder margin of 

 the eye, and has fourteen rays. Dorsal and anal fins sub-elevated 

 and equal. Caudal fin rounded, the tail being constricted above 

 and below. Colouration yellowish, with an anal spot, a large 

 patch above the median lateral line with two oblique bands 

 extending to the dorsal fin, the dorsal spine, a band between the 

 eyes extending on each side to the root of the pectorals, and four 

 or five oblique parallel streaks of different thicknesses from the 

 supra-median patch to the anal tin, black. There are also three 

 narrow blue streaks from the eye to the base of the pectorals, and 

 one surrounding the upper part of the mouth. 



It is rather curious that this very peculiarly marked species of 

 Monacanthus has an almost counterpart in the closely allied genus 

 Balistes. B. Aculeatus has not only the markings very similar, 

 but the number of rays in the dorsal and anal fins closely 

 correspond. On the other hand, the present species, though 

 undoubtedly a Monacanthus as far as generic characters are 

 concerned, presents no resemblance to any other known species of 

 the genus. Can it be that the characters on which the genera 

 have been founded are not of such importance as Ichthyologists 

 seem to imagine. 



142. — OSTRACION CUBICUS. 



Ostracion prior, Aldrov. 4, c. 19, p. 560; Johnston, p. 125, tab. 

 25; fig. 7; Willoughby Append., p. 20, tab. L 10 and I. 12; 

 Valent., p. 386, fig. 120 ; Seba., tab. 24, fig. 11. 



