5. MONACANTHUS. 231 



Monacauthus melanuropterus, Bleek. Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. iii. p. 781. 



houttuyni, Bleek. I. c. v. p. 351. 



aspersus, Hollard, I. c. p. 3C2. 



Liomouacanthus pardalis, Bleek. Ned. Tyds. Dierk. iii. p. 27; All. 



Ichth. Balut. p. 136, tab. 230. fig. 2. 

 Monacauthus frouticinctus, G'dnth. in Fish. Zanz. p. 13G, pi. 19. fig. 2 



(typ. specimen, but not example no. 521). 



Synonymy of Atlantic sjyecimens. 



Lija colorada, I'arra, p. 49, lam. 23. 



Monacauthus pullus, lianzani, Nov. Comm. Ac. Sc. Inst. Bonon. 1842, 



V. p. 4, tab. 1. 



ruppellii, Casteln. Anitn. Am. Sud, Poiss. p. 97, pi. 47. fig. 2. 



macrocerus, Hollard, Ann. Sc. Nat. 1854, ii. p. 327, pi. 12. 



fig. 1 (adult). 



parraianus, Poey, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Philad. 1863, p. 185. 



irroratus, Poey, Metn. Cub. ii. p. 330. 



punctatus, Poey, RejieH. Fis.-7iat. Cub. ii. p. 437. 



stratus, Poey, Mem. Cub. ii. p. 329, and /. c. ii. p. 171. 



D. 35-36. A. 30-31. 



Scales minute, the skin having a velvety appearance. Large ex- 

 amples (12 inches long) with two pairs of strong recurved spines 

 on each side of the tail. The hind margin of the orbit vertically 

 above the axil of the pectoral fin. Body moderately elevated, its 

 depth being one-half or rather more than one-half of the total 

 length (without caudal). Snout moderately produced, with the 

 upper profile slightly concave. Dorsal spine nearly straight, rather 

 shorter than the head, without barbs, situated above the anterior 

 part of the orbit. Caudal fin rounded, rather short. Ventral spine 

 not moveable, attached to the abdomen by a simple membi'ane. 

 Dorsal and anal fins rather low. The coloration varies. Generally 

 a whitish spot behind the last dorsal raj'. 



Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. 



Var. a. Body with brown spots separated from one another by a 

 network of whitish lines. Head with undulated bluish longitudinal 

 stripes. 



rt, b. Half-grown. Zanzibar. Presented by Lieut.-Col. Playfair. 



c. Half-grown : skin. Zanzibar. Presented by Lieut.-Col. Playfair. 



Var. /3. Uniform brown or brownish black. 



d. Half-grown. Amboyna. Purchased of Hr. Frank. 



e. Half-grown. Moluccas. 



f-ij. Adult (13 inches) and half-grown : skins. Aneiteum. 



h. Adult (13 inches): skin. Jamaica. Purchased of Mr. Parncll. 



i-l. Half-grown : skins. West Indies. Purchased of Mr. Scrivener. 



m. Half-grown. West Indies. Purchased of Mr. Scrivener. 



n. Young. 



Var. y. Brown, with indistinct darker spots. 

 0. Half-grown: skin. Zanzibar. From Lieut.-Col. I'layfair's Col- 

 lection. — Type of M. fronticincius. 



