212 SCLKRODERMI. 



Balistapus, Tiles. 3£hn. Ac. Sc. St. P^fcrsb. vii. 



Xenodon, liiippcH. 



EiTthrodoii, Riippcll. 



Pyrodon (Eiipp.), Melichthys (*S';i'fl««s.),Balistos ct Jialistapus, Kavp. 



Leiurus (Swaim.), Erythrodon, Melichthys et Balistes (with the 



subgon. Parabalistes, Pseudobalistes, Balistapus, Balistes, Canthi- 



dermis), Bleek. Ned. Tyds. Dicrk. iii. p. 10. 



Body compressed, covered with juxtaposed mo\ cable scutes; some 

 species witli series of spines or tubercles on the side of the tail. 

 Upper jaw with a double scries of incisor-like teeth, eight in the 

 outer, and six in the inner series ; lower jaw with eight similar 

 teeth in a single series. The first dorsal fin reduced to three spines, 

 the anterior of which is by far the strongest. Ventral fins reduced 

 to a simple osseous appendage. No barbel. Vertebrae 7/10. Bran- 

 chiostegals six. 



Tropical and subtropical seas. 



On the anatomy, seellollard, Ann. Sc. Nat. 1853, xx. pp. 71-111, 

 pi. 1 ; Owen, Osteolog. Catal. i. p. 76. 



The species may bl; subdivided thus : — 



A. The fi-ee portion of the tail is depressed (Liurus), p. 212. 



B. The free portion of the tail is compressed. 



1. Teeth white, uneven, more or less deeply notolied : BaUsfes. 



a. A groove in front of the eye, below the nostrils. 



a. Cheeks entirely scaly. 



aa. No osseous scutes behind the gill-opening (Canthidermis), 

 p. 213. 



bo. Osseous scutes behind the gill-opening. 



aa. Tail without spines or tubercles, p. 215. 



/3/3. Tail with recurved spmes or well-developed tubercles, 

 p. 218. 



j8. Cheeks with naked grooves or stripes (Parabalistes), p. 221. 



b. No groove in front of the eye, p. 223. 



2. Teeth white, even, incisor-like {Melanichthys), p. 227. 



3. Teeth brownish red, the lateral upper pair much projecting * {Ery- 

 throdon), p. 228. 



A. The free portion of the tail is depressed : Liurus. 



1. Balistes stellatus. 



WiUtiqhhy, Ajjpend. p. 1, tab. 1 . lig. 1 ; Valcnt. fig. 202 ; Renard, 

 ii. tab. 33. fig. 153 ; Ruysch, An>h. tab. 2. fig. 8. 



Balistes stellatus, Lacep. i. p. 350, pi. 15. fig. 1 ; Riijyp. Atl. Fish. 

 p. 31 ; Bleek. Vcrh. Bat. Gen. xxiv. Balist. p. 13. 



* This pcculiai- form of the dentition cannot be used as a generic character 

 bv itself, as it is observed also i!i other species, although in a less degree. 



