SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 339 



Family BALISTID^. The Trigger-fishes. 



Rather large-sized shore fishes of tropical waters, feeding on small animals 

 or on algse; protected by their tough, rough skin; rarely eaten by man, the flesh 

 of some reputed to be exceedingly poisonous. Body ovate or elongate, consider- 

 ably compressed; mouth very small, terminal; jaws short but strong, a single row 

 of incisor teeth in each; premaxillaries fused with maxillaries; eye small, high; 

 preorbital region very wide; gill-openings short slits at base of pectorals; oper- 

 cular bones not evident externally; head and body covered with rough scales 

 or plates; lateral line absent or rudimentary; air-bladder present; vertebrae few 

 in number (17); 2 dorsal fins, the anterior with 2 or 3 spines, the first spine 

 largest, the second firmly locking it when extended, whence the name trigger- 

 fishes, applied to the family; posterior dorsal with numerous soft rays; anal 

 similar to second dorsal; caudal rounded, forked, or concave; pectorals short and 

 broad; ventrals represented by a stout spine at the end of a long pelvic bone. 

 About 6 American genera, only 1 regularly represented on our Atlantic coast. 



Genus BALISTES Linnaeus. Trigger-fishes. 



This genus contains the typical trigger-fishes, with 3 dorsal spines, of which 

 the first is much the largest, the second in close relation thereto, the third remote; 

 by depressing the second spine the firmly locked first spine may be bent back- 

 ward. Body compressed, rather deep; irregular teeth in each jaw; scales rather 

 small, rough, implanted in a tough, leathery skin; lateral line very small and 

 exceedingly irregular, extending on cheeks, sometimes incomplete; a groove in 

 front of eye below nostrils; enlarged bony plates behind gill-openings; pelvic 

 flap large, movable, with numerous sharp spines; anal and second dorsal fins 

 long, falcate or filamentous in adult; caudal lobes produced in old specimens; 

 colors often brilHant and in remarkable patterns. Two species occur on our east 

 coast, straggling as far north as Massachusetts; only 1 of these thus far recorded 

 from North Carolina, but the other likely to be found any season. These 2 

 may be thus distinguished: 



i. Lateral line complete, extending from cheek upward to near dorsal, thence abruptly down- 

 ward to near anal, again upward, and then straight along caudal peduncle; color olive gray, 

 with a dark cross-bar under anterior part of soft dorsal and violet or blue spots on back, 

 head, and fins carolinensis. 



ii. Lateral line incomplete, only on cheeks, nape, and pedimcle; color brownish yellow, with 

 bright blue streaks on head, fins, and peduncle vetula. 



(Balistes, cross-bow.) 



293. BALISTES CAROLINENSIS Gmelin. 



Leather-jacket; Trigger-fish. 



Balistes carolinensis Gmelin, Systema Naturae, i, 1468, 1788; Carolina. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1701, pi. 

 crlviii, fig. 632. 



Diagnosis. — Depth .5 total length to end of tail; peduncle narrow, about .16 depth of 

 body; head .25 total length to end of tail; snout very long, .8 length of head; eye very small, 

 less than .25 snout; scales in lateral series 55 to 65; lateral line undulating, very irregular (as 



