BY W. MACLEAY, F.L.S. 309 



to three spines, the anterior of which is by far the strongest. 

 Ventral fins reduced to a simple osseous appendage. No barbel. 

 Vertebrae 7/10. Branchiostegals six. 



Tropical Seas. 



988. Balistes stellatus, Lacep. 



Gunth., Cat. Fishes VIII., p. 212.— Bleek., Atl. Ichth. Balist. pi. 1 . 



D. 3/27. A. 25. L. lat. 44. 



Tail depressed behind, with two obtuse ridges on each side. 

 Twenty-four scales in a transverse series running from the origin 

 of the soft dorsal to the vent. A patch of enlarged scales behind 

 the gill-opening. Dorsal and anal fins not elevated ; caudal with 

 the posterior margin undulated, and the lobes produced into long 

 filaments in adult specimens. Ventral spine moveable. Adults 

 with but few markings — a whitish band along the middle of the 

 trunk, and dark longitudinal stripes on the dorsal and anal fins. 

 In young examples there are four large white spots on the back 

 — the first between the eye and dorsal spine, the second between 

 the dorsal fins, and the last on the tail. The body besides is 

 ornamented with more or less irregular bluish spots. In very 

 young examples the white dorsal spots are very distinct, the 

 ground colour of the back being a deep brown. 



West Australia (B. phaleratusj. N. E. Australia. 



989. Balistes aculeatus, L. 



Gunth., Cat. Fishes VIIL, p. 223.— Bleek., Atl. Ichth. Balist., 



p. 2, fig. 3. 



Monacanthus Cheverti, All. & Macl., Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, 

 Vol. L, p. 355, pi. 17, fig. 3. 

 Torres Straits. 



990. Balistes tjndulatus, Mungo Park. 

 Trans. Linn. Soc. III., p. 37.— Gunth., Cat. Fishes VIIL, p. 226. 



