KII.K-KISIIKS. 633 



Gknis balistes. 



PedKiich' of fhe caudal fin lateraUi/ comjyn'ssciL Jaic-teeth ichite, those in the lower jaw and in the outer row in 

 the upper Jinr obli()i(etf/ incised or claic-shaped : no prominent canines. Lips fieshi/ and naked. First dorsal fin 



(■(iniplefel// separated from the second, its niemhrane faltiiif/ short of the first roji of the second dorsal fin. 



I)(ii/s (if the seciDid dorsal Jin les.'< than ■'>(>. 



Siii'li Mi-c till' clia rafters by wli'u'h Blekkkk" lias j bladdei' has been pointed out, as we liiive iiieutioiied 



detiiied tlic true File-tishes, wliicli are distiii<i;uished 

 from all the other members of the family by their 

 comparatively thick and also naked lips'. The greater 

 iiund)c'i- of these forms are furnished behind tlie gill- 

 opeiiings, on cacli side above the angle of the ])ectoral 

 till, witli tlie plates whose connexion witli tlie air- 



al)ove, b^' ]\I<jJ!ius. One or perliaps two species are, 

 however, known, which are without tliese special axillary 

 plates, and on this account Bleekeu proposed to estab- 

 lish a subgenus Canthidermis, borrowing the natne, 

 ])ut not its application, from Swainson'. To tliis sub- 

 iieinis we should tlien refer 



THE SPOTTED FILE-FISH (t!^Y. sfattiialisten'' ou klackiilaken '). 

 BALISTES MACULATUS. 



A"o special ajillari/ plates. Scahj covering of the cheeks even, unbroken by any lonr/itudinal, naked strips. A lon- 

 gitudinal hollow in front of each eye just below the naked, oblong depression in which the two small, oral nostrils 

 are situated'. Tail unarmed, but the scales on the sides of the body furnished during youth on the free part of 

 their surface u-ith rows of pointed spines and at the middle {at the tip if the next scale in front) with one rather 

 more jirominent sjiiiie: in older specimens all the scales granulated on tlie free part of their surface, and the scales 

 on the sides of tlie body retaining only blunt stumps of the spines, among tvhich those at tlie middle of each scale 

 are larger and somewhat elongated, together .teeming to form longitudinal rows of low carina!. About 32 scales 

 in an ohlique transverse row from the vent to the first dorsal fin. 2'he quadrangular, elongated scales of the ventral 

 side proper lie in about 14 obliquely longitudinal rous, the upper ones containing about 17 scales between the 

 base of the pectoral fin and the ana.l region. Length of the head in adult specimens ^/^, breadth of the interorbital 

 space about ' ,„, length of the snout about 15 %, distance between the first dorsal fin and the tip of the snout 28 

 or 2!l %, distance between the second dorsal fin and the tip of tlie snout 49 or 'jO %, distance between the anal 

 fin and the same })oint 55 or 56 % of the length of the body. Second dorsal and anal fins in front high'' with the 

 posterior outer (resji. upper or lower) margin concave. Length of the caudal fin at the middle equal to that of the 

 snout''. Length of the pectoral fins ' i, of that of the body. Pelvic spine short, sometimes firmly united to the pelvis. 

 Greatest depth of the body in young specimens ratlicr more than ',21 *'" ^^^^ rather less than V3 of H^ length. 

 Least depth of the body equal in adult specimens to the length of tlie pectoral fins. Greatest thickness equal to the 

 length of the snout. Coloration brown or blue, with light blue spots, somewhat smaller than the eyes, scattered over 

 the whole body, the second dorsal fin, the caudal fin, and the anal fin. In young specimens the spots are smaller, 

 indistinct, and interspersed with darker spots. The fish is sometimes plain brown or black. 



" All. Iclith. Ind. Or. Xeirl.. toin. V, p. 98. 



' Linna:us's Biilisles ringeuK is tlins exclmled frciii t)iis genus; in its case tlic lips are extremely tliin and lie williin tlie sealy dermal 



fold tlint extends outside the roots of tlie teeth in both jawp. 



' Nat. Hist. Fish., Am/'l,., Repl.. vol. II, p. lOt. 



'' Malm. Obys, Boh. Fii. 



' Lii.LJEDOUG, ^v., A'ori/. F/.sA-. 



•^ The anterior larger than the posterior: between llieni a longitudinal dermal Hup. whiili partly covers the posterior nostril. 



' The length of the longest ray (the Gtli or 7th) in the former lin about 17' ., % of that of the body, in the latter fin (the 5tli or 



(ith ray) 16 or 17 % thereof, or respectively 73 ?» of the base of the second di.rsal fin and 84 % of the base of the anal fin — in each ease 

 in specimens between 27 and 30 cm. in length. In younger specimens these fins are more rounded. 



'' In young siieciinens the <-audal fin is sharply rounded; in older ones the outer corners arc prolongeii into pointed, but short lobes. 



