102 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 02 Vol. 3 



shaped spot from spiny dorsal through posterior part of eye 

 to lower edge of pectoral base; a second stripe from below 

 middle of spiny dorsal across enlarged scales behind opercular 

 opening; pubic spine and ventral flap blackish with faint 

 white basal line; soft dorsal and anal fins pale; caudal fin 

 greyish basally, pale distally. 



Sufflamen bursa (Bloch and Schneider) 

 56. Profile convex; 3 to 5 rows of spines on caudal peduncle; caudal fin 

 rounded, fan-shaped; tubercles on body well developed on 4 or 

 5 transverse scale rows anterior to soft dorsal origin; first 

 dorsal spine flat on anterior sides, with lateral flange bearing 

 laterally directed teeth; lips pale yellow, brown line encircling 

 mouth, back of this a thin yellow line; snout, chin, and inter- 

 orbital dark brown; broad yellow band extending from below 

 preorbital anteriorly across snout profile to below preorbital 

 groove on opposite side; body dark brown, lower sides with 

 large round white spots, larger than eye; broad saddle on 

 back and upper sides extending from posterior part of eye 

 to origin of soft dorsal, its ground color yellowish orange and 

 dotted with numerous small close-set brown spots; dorsal and 

 anal fins pale; caudal fin dark brown on base, upper, and 

 lower rays, broad submargiual band, middle part of fin yellow- 

 ish, tips of rays white; dorsal rays III-ii,25; anal i,22; pectoral 

 i,13; scale rows 48; gill rakers on first arch 37. 



Balistoides niger (Bonnaterre) 

 46. Dorsal and anal fins high, elevated and angulate anteriorly. 



8ffl. Caudal peduncle armed with 6 rows of short heavy antrorse spines, 

 upper and lower rows with 1 to 5 spines per row, 3 middle rows 

 7 to 11 spines per row; interorbital elevated, convexly rounded; 

 caudal fin truncate or rounded; area around mouth behind lips, 

 and wide groove extending back from rictus, naked; ground 

 color of head and body pale greyish yellow to golden yellow; 

 upper lips and naked area behind lips black, black color extend- 

 ing from rictus posteriorly in and along sides of shallow groove; 

 soft dorsal and anal fins with narrow black basal band, broad 

 median portion of fin pale orange or yellowish, broad marginal 

 portion of fins with rays black, membranes pale; pectoral fin 

 similarly colored; caudal fin black basally and on upper and 

 lower margins, middle of fin yellow, distal margin broadly 

 black; dorsal rays III-ii,23 or 24;anal ii, 21 to 23; pectoral i,13; 

 scale rows 33 or 34; gill rakers on first arch 42 or 43. 



Balistoides viridescens (Bloch and Schneider) 

 86. Caudal peduncle not armed; scales of caudal peduncle not modified; 

 interorbital low, rounded; caudal fin with upper and lower 

 rays much elongated; broad area around mouth and anterior 

 part of cheeks naked; 4 rows of scales on cheeks reduced to 

 small widely separated tubercles; space between rows naked; 

 ground color of head pale yellowish brown; head scales grey; 

 interorbital area and nape with short wavy transverse lines; 

 indistinct short lines radiating from eye; body with fine 

 regular brown network outlining scales, center of each scale 

 with small round yellowish white spot; soft dorsal and anal 

 fins with reticulated pattern; broad distal margin of fins 



