g92 PLECTOGNATHI. 



B. vi, D. 3;25-26, P. 14, A. 22, C. 12, L. 1. 40, L. tr. 23-2(3. 



Leucrtli of liead 3|, of caudal fin G^, height of body 2^ in the total length, ^yes— high up and not 

 above 1/2 a diameter from posterior end of head, 1^ diameters apart. Xo groove m front of eye. Fins— 

 second dorsal and anal fins rather low, the corners rounded. Ventral spine movable. Posterior edge of 

 caudal fin convex or undulated. Sca?es— cheeks entirely scaly: a patch of a few enlarged scutes behind the 

 D-'ill opeinno-- 4 to G strong spines on either side of the tail in two rows. C'o?onrs— brownish, with numerous 

 Sndulatin"-"yellow lines from the eye and back to the anal and caudal fins : three or four likewise pass from the 

 ano-le of the mouth and lips to between the ventral and anal fins : a dark band along the base of the second 

 dorsal and anal : and a black margin to interspin.ms membrane between first and second dorsal spines. In 

 some examples a black blotch exists at the side of the tail near the base of the caudal fin. 



Habitat.— 'Red Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, and beyond, ihe 

 example figured (a skin 10 inches in length) was from the Andamans. 



13. Balistes erythrodoii, Plate CLXXY, fig. 4. 



Baliste noir, Lacep. i, pp. 378, 380, t. xv, f. 2. „- , , ^r t> i ^ 



Xe7iodo>i niger, Eiipp. N. W. Fische, p. 63, t. xlv, f. 3; Bleekor, Balistes, p. 37 (not ilungo Park). 



Eryfhrodon niger, Riipp. Verz. Fisch. Senck. Mus. p. 34 ; Blocker, Atl. Ich. v, p. 10b, t. ccxix. 



Zeiiodon niger, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 325. 



Pijrndon mger, Kaup, Sclerod. p. 222 ; Bleeker, En. Pise. p. 103. 



Balistes niger, Hollard, Ann. Sc. Nat. 1854, i, p. 315. 



Balistes erythrodon, Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 228 ; Klunz. Fisch. Roth. jMecr. 18,1, p. b31. 



B. vi, D. 3/35, P. 14, A. 30, C. 12, L. 1. 33-35, L. tr. 17. 



Length of head 41, of caudal fin 31, height of body 3 in the total length. Eyes— 3 diameters from end 

 of snout and l\ apart. A shallow scaly groove in front of eye. Lower jaw projecting. Teei/i— reddish-brown, 

 strono-ly compressed, notched: the tooth on the side of the central pair in the upper jaw considerably 

 proiectino- Fins— Hvst dorsal commences above the gill-opening, its spine strong and about 1/2 as long as the 

 head Ventral spines movable. Caudal deeply concave, with its outer rays prolonged. Second dorsal and 

 anal elevated, especially anteriorly. .S'ca/es— cheeks entirely scaly : some enlarged scutes behind the giU-openmg. 

 Scales roughened, those along the middle of the body and tail with a smaU elevated tubercle on each, but no 

 prominent spines. Colorirs—oi a deep brown, a black stripe after encircling the mouth goes to the base of the 

 pectoral fin. Vertical fins nearly black, the caudal with a white posterior edge. 



Hahitat.—'Red Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. The example figured 

 (life-size) was from ]\Iangalore, where it was procured by Dr. Dobson. 



Genus, 3 — Monacanthus, Cuvier. 



Aliitarius Cuv. : Stephanolepis, Gill : Cha-.todermis, Paramonacantlms, Amanses, Gray : Pseudoraona- 

 cantlms, Liomonacanthus, Oxymonacanthus, Branchaluteres, Acauthahderes, Ceratacanthus, Paralnteres, Pseuda- 

 luteres and Aluteres, Bleeker. 



Body compressed. Barbels absent. Incisorifyrm teeth in both jatvs, in two rows in the upper wi^h six i^i 

 the outer r^, and a single row of six in the mandibles. The first dorsal fin composed of a spine u-hich may be 

 feeble or strong and merely rough, or provided posteriorly or laterally zvith barbs, occasionally a second rudimentary 

 owe ■ ventral fin, when present, reduced to a single osseous process, sometimes rudimentary and either movable or 

 fixed. Scales minute and rough : cutaneous filaments present in some species : the side of the tail may he pecuiiarly 

 armed in adult males, but less apparently so or not at all in the females. Vertebrw 7/11-14. 



SYNOPSIS OP INDIAN SPECIES. 



A..— Dorsal spine with only 2 rows of barbs, pointing backwards and downwards. 



1. Monacanthus setifer, D. 1/28-34, A. 29-33. Second dorsal fin with its first ray prolonged. Brownish, 

 marbled and streaked with darker. Indian and Atlantic Oceans. p t t i. ^i 



2. Monacanthus choirocephalns, D. 1/28, A. 28-30. Fleshy tentacles over body. Seas of India to the 

 ]\Ialay Ai-chipelago. 



B. — Dorsal spine rough but barbless. 



3. Monacanthus monoccros, D. 1/46-48, A. 48-53. Snout moderately produced, with its upper profile 

 convex. Indian Ocean and Atlantic portions of tropical America. 



4. Monacantlius scriptus, D. 1/44-48, A. 47-52. Snout produced with its upper profile concave. Indian 



Ocean. •* 



A.— Dorsal spine with only 2 rows of barbs, pointing backwards and doimivards. 



1. Monacanthus setifer. ~^- 



Bennett, Proc. Zool. Snc. 1831, p. 112: Hollard, Ann. Sc. Kat, 1854, ii, p. 342, pi. xii, f. 4 ; Dekay, 

 New York Fauna, Fish. p. 337, pi. lix, f. 1!'4 : Giinther, Catal. vili, p. 23i.». 



