688 PLECTOGXATHI. 



Balistes ncul.alns, Gray and Hardw. Illus. Ind. Zool. ; Bleeker, Atl. Ich. v, p. 121, t. ccxviii, f. 2, 



Balistes Willinjlibeii, Bennett, Proc. Zool. See. i. p. 168, and in Beecliey's Voy. Blossom, Zool. p. G8, 

 t. xsi, f. 2. 



CantJiidermis oculafus, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 32.5. 



Jialistes amjidosus, Quoy and Gaim. Voy. Urainie, Zool. p. 210 ; Hollard, 1. c. p. 57. 



JJaUstes azureus, Less. Voy. Coq. Zool. ii, p. 121, t. x, f. 2. 



Balistes ailsjjcrsus, Tschudi, Faun. Per. Pise. p. 31. 



Balistes consjncilhim, Cantor, Catal. ]\Ial. Fish. p. 344. (not Syn.) 



Balistes longus, Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 37. 



Balistes seuticosiis, Richards. Voy. Samarang, Fish. p. 23, pi. ix, f. 5-8 ; Bleeker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. 

 Ind. V, p. 93. 



Balistes loiigissinms, Hollard, 1. c. 60, t. iii, f. 4. 



Balistes sohaco and wiaorops, Poey, Cuba, pp. 324, 326. 



B. vi, D. 3/2G-27, P. 15, A. 24-25, C. 12, L. 1. 46-55, L. tr. 28. 



Leng-th of head 3f to 4, of caudal fin <j\ to 7, height of body 2| to 3 in the total length. Eije^ — 

 2 to 2<^ diameters ft-om end of snout and 2 apart, A gi-oove in front of eye. Teeth — uneven, notched. Fins — 

 first dorsal commences above tlie gill-opening, its anterior spine strong and nearly 1/2 as long as the head. 

 Ventral spine usually movable. Posterior edge of caudal convex or undulated. Second dorsal and anal 

 high anteriorly, especially in adults. Scales — cheeks entirely scaled : no osseous scutes behind the gill-opening. 

 Scales rough and granulated, but without spines or prominent tubercles except in the immature. Colours — 

 bluish-black, young examples arc covered with numerous light blue blotches, more especially in the lower half 

 of the body, these spots are less numerous and larger in adults. Dorsal spine black. -Eyes hazel. 



Mahitat. — Indian and Atlantic oceans, more especially in their tropical and subtropical portions : 

 also the Pacific and occasionally on the British coast. It is very common at Madras, attaining at least 

 10 inches in length. 



3. Balistes vetula. 



Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 40G ; Osbeck's Travels, p. 294; Bloch, t. 150; Bl. Schn. p. 470; Lacepede, i, 

 p. 337 ; Less. Voy. Coq. Zool. ii, p. 113, t. is, f. 2 ; Jenyns, Voy. Beagle, Fish. p. 155 ; Hollard, Ann. Sc. Nat. 

 1854, i, p. 305 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 215. 



B. vi, D. 3/30-32, P. IG, A. 29, C. 12, L. 1. 50-60, L. tr. 35-37. 



Length of head .3i, and height of body 2\ in the total length, excluding the caudal filaments. Eijes — 

 4 diameters fi-om the end of snout and 1^ diameters apart. A groove in front of the eye below the nostrils. 

 Fins — first dorsal commences just behind the e3e, its spine strong and half as long as the head. In adults the 

 anterior dorsal rays and caudal lobes may be filamentous. Scales — cheeks entirely scaly : a patch of enlarged 

 scutes behind the gill-opening. No spines or tubercles on the side of the tail. Colours — in the immature some 

 oblique black lines go along the rows of scales. In the adult there are two curved blue dark-edged bands 

 along the side of the head, and some narrow black ones between the eyes over the head, they are also 

 continued below the eyes: caudal with its upper and lower edge blue, and a bluish band near its posterior 

 extremity : transverse bluish bands on the dorsal and anal fins. 



HaLitat. — Coromaudel coast of India and tropical parts of the Atlantic. An example in the Madras 

 museum is 15 inches in length. 



4. Balistes niger, Plate CLXXXI, fig. 1. 



Mungo Park, Transac. Linn. Soc. iii, p. 37 ; Bl. Schn. p. 471 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 218 ; Klunz. 

 Fische Roth. Meer. 1871, p. 627. 



Baliste arme, Lacep. i, pp. 336, 382, t. xviii, f. 2. 



Balistes Mungo-ParJc, Lacep. iv, pp. 681, G82. 



Balistes clirysopterus, Bl. Schn. p. 466 : Kaup, Sclerod. p. 224. 



Balistes suharmatus, Gray and Haixlw. Illus. Ind. Zool. 



Balistes alhicaudatits, Riippell, N. W. Fische, js. 54, t. xvi, f. 1 ; Richards. Ich. China, p. 201 ; Peters, 

 Fisch. Mossam, p. 276. 



MelicJitliTjs alhicaudafus, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 325. 



Balistes verrucosus, Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 33. 



Balistes anraaiMs, Bleeker, Balist. p. 16, and Atl. Ich. v, p. 115, t. cxvi, f . 1 ; Holl. Ann. Sc. Nat. i, 

 1854, p. 328. 



B. vi, D. 3/26-28, P. 14, A. 2.3-25, C. 12, L. 1. 45-47, L. tr. 23-26. 



Length of head 31, of caudal fin 5^, height of body 2^ in the total length. Eyes — 4 diameters from 

 the end of the snout and Ij apart. A groove in front of the eye. Tedh — compressed and notched. Fins — 

 fir-st dorsal commences above the first third of the pectoral fin, its anterior spine strong, and 1/2 as long as the 

 head. Ventral spine movable. Caudal truncated or undulated, second dorsal and anal of moderate height. 

 /Sea /cs— entirely cover cheeks. Some osseous scutes behind the gill-opening : 6 to 8 rows of small recurved 



