J 2 Memoirs of the Indian Museum. [Vol. Ill, 



Family BALISTIDAE. 

 Genus Balistes, Lacepede. 

 Balistes stellans, Bloch and vSchneid. 



This is the only species of the genus that has been taken by the "Golden Crown." 

 It is apparently not uncommon on the Siliqiuiria grounds off the Madras coast at a 

 depth of from 20 to 30 fathoms. 



Genus Monacanthus, Cuvier. 



No species of this genus [sensu stricto) has been taken by the "Golden Crown." 

 As, however, two new species have recently been added to the Indian fauna, the 

 following key may prove useful. All the Indian species are fully described in Giinther's 



Catalogue: — 



Key to the Indian species of Monacanthus. 



A. — Ventral spine moveable; the ventral protuberance 

 not extending beyond it. 

 {a) Upper profile of snout concave ; scales minute, 

 each with four or five spines on the margin . . 

 {a') Upper profile of snout concave; scales minute, 

 not very rough, sometimes mixed with minute 

 cirri 

 ((/") Upper profile of snout nearly straight; skin 

 velvety, with long fringed filaments 

 B. — Ventral spine absent. 



Body subcircular, marked with purplish ocelli 



Genus Aluteres, Bleeker. 



Key to the Indian species of Aluteres. 



A. — Dorsal spine not in front of the orbit. 



[a) Dorsal profile of snout convex; caudal fin much 



shorter than the head 

 ((?') Dorsal profile of snout concave; caudal fin nearly 

 as long as or longer than the head 

 B. — Dorsal spine distinctly in front of the orbit. 



Dorsal profile of snout convex ; dorsal spine nearly 

 as long as the head . . 



M. tomentosus. 



M. setifer. 



M. nematophorus. 



M. oculattis. 



A. monoceros. 



A. scyiptus. 



A. nasicornis. 



Aluteres ntonoceyos ^Osbeck). 



Monacanthus monoceros, Day, Faun. Brit. Ind., Fishes, vol. ii, p. 482. 



This species has been taken by the "Golden Crown" on several occasions. It 

 appears to be not uncommon, together with Batistes stcllatus, on the Siliquana grounds 

 off the Madras coast. 



