FAMILY BALISTIDAE — WOODS 103 



white; pectoral fin grey with broad pale margin; caudal fin 

 with light spots on basal three-fourths, upper and lower rays 

 uniform brownish grey to tips, middle rays with broad white 

 margin and narrow black submarginal band. Dorsal rays 

 III-ii,24; anal ii,20; pectoral i,13; scale rows 45; gill rakers 

 on first arch 34__Pseudobalistes fuscus (Bloch and Schneider) 

 36. Teeth even and incisorlike, dorsal and anal fins elevated anteriorly, 

 angulate; third dorsal spine minute, not reaching above rim of 

 spiny dorsal groove; head and body dark reddish brown to 

 blackish. 

 9a. Soft dorsal and anal fin uniform dark brown except for a white 

 line at base; caudal fin dark brown, a thin white submar- 

 ginal line following outline of fin; dorsal rays III-ii,32; anal 

 ii,28; pectoral 1,15; scale rows 66; gill rakers on first arch 

 36; 9 lengthwise ridges on posterior part of body, only 4 of 

 these extending onto caudal peduncle; upper and lower caudal 

 rays elongate; head and body uniform dark reddish brown to 



black Melichthys radula (Solander) " 



96. Soft dorsal and anal fins pale or white except outer margins bordered 

 by black band; caudal fin pale or whitish except dorsal and 

 ventral edges with a dark line; posterior part of caudal peduncle 

 pale; pectoral pale, its base blackish or brownish. 



Melichthys vidua (Solander) 

 26. No deep groove before eye. 



10a. Third dorsal spine well developed, projecting above rim of dorsal 

 groove; caudal peduncle not constricted, its depth 2.8 to 2.95 in 

 head; caudal peduncle armed with two rows of strong retrorse 

 spines, 3 or 4 spines per row; ground color of head and body light 

 greyish brown to dark brownish black; lips dark brown, the 

 lower with a transverse light line; light line across chin running 

 posteriorly along lower cheek and joined by faint light line coming 

 from anterior part of snout just behind lips; thin light lines 

 crossing snout extending obliquely downward and backward 

 across cheek; light lines curving around base of dorsal in widening 

 concentric curves covering entire side; caudal peduncle spines 

 black, the area around these spines jet black; pectoral, soft 

 dorsal, and anal fins pale whitish; upper and lower unbranched 

 caudal rays with black outer margin, middle rays dusky, mem- 

 branes pale; dorsal rays III-ii,23 or 24; anal i,22 or 23; pectoral 

 i,12; scale rows 43 to 46; gill rakers on first arch 36 to 40. 



Balistapus undulatus (Mungo Park) 



106. Third dorsal spine minute, not projecting above rim of dorsal groove; 



caudal peduncle constricted, its depth 4.0 to 5.3 in head, and 



armed with 3 or 4 rows of spines, middle 2 rows with 8 to 12 spines 



per row. 



11a. Caudal peduncle spines contained in a definite black triangular 



patch; usually 4 rows of spines, upper and lower rows with 4 to 



8 spines per row and middle rows with 8 to 10 spines per row; 



color of head and body pale yellowish white; grey interorbital 



band with three darker transverse lines; dark band slightly 



narrower than eye, extending from lower edge of orbit, broaden 



2' Not yet found In northern Marshall Islands. 



