100 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 202 Vol. 3 



Depth of body 2.9; length of head 3.2; both in standard length. 

 Snout 1.1; diameter of eye 5.5; least depth of caudal peduncle 2.4; 

 length of pectoral fin 3.2; length of longest dorsal ray 4.0; length of 

 longest anal ray 4.0; length of middle caudal rays 0.7; length of soft 

 dorsal fin base 0.9; length of anal fin base 0.8; length of dorsal spine 

 1.6; interorbital width 4.4; postorbital part of head 6.1; length of 

 gill opening 3.6; all in length of head. Angle of snout profile with 

 lengthwise axis of body 25 degrees, snout profile concave. 



Interorbital area elevated, sharp angle on middorsal fine; dorsal 

 fin spine long, slender, unarmed, inserted over middle of orbit; pelvic 

 spine absent (in specimens this size) ; caudal peduncle slightly longer 

 than deep, ventral side of caudal peduncle shorter than upper; body 

 uniformly covered with short close-set spines, those of caudal peduncle 

 not enlarged; slight hump present on dorsal part of snout near tip; 

 dorsal and anal fins high rounded; caudal fin long, its tip rounded. 



Color in alcohol. — Ground color of head and body light greyish 

 tan; head with scattered, round, intensely black dots smaller than 

 pupil, two rows of these dots encircling mouth; 8 wavy greyish or 

 black lines (sometimes interrupted) on head, the lower five radiating 

 posteriorly along cheeks and breast, one reaching lower rim of orbit 

 and almost completely encirchng eye counter-clockwise; two short 

 interrupted lines before eye and one on interorbital area; pectoral 

 axil and surrounding area dark brown with several black round dots; 

 body with intensely black dots as large or larger than pupil, round, 

 kidney shaped, or elongate, running either lengthwise or vertical; 

 those of back round, more or less arranged in two lengthwise rows 

 with grey or black curved bar with rounded ends above each dot, 

 two rows along lower sides similarly arranged with curved bars 

 below, these bars sometimes joined, forming a wavy greyish line; 

 black spots on middle of sides with larger bars, mostly black; dots 

 on caudal peduncle with curving bars around posterior edge, some 

 dots nearly completely encircled; dorsal and anal fins pale, anal with 

 faint yellowish color, caudal fin rays light yellowish brown, mem- 

 branes smoky grey. 



Family BALISTIDAE 

 By Loren p. Woods 



KEY TO GENERA AND SPECIES OF BALISTIDAE FROM THE NORTHERN MARSHALL 

 ISLANDS AND ADJOINING REGIONS 2' 



la. Scales just behind gill opening above pectoral base not enlarged and plate- 

 like. Cheeks completely scaled, without grooves; short shallow groove 



S9 Modlfled after Fraser-Brunner, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 10, vol. 15, p. 658, 1935. 



