Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1699 



e. Dorsal and anal fins falcate in the adult; caudal lobes acuminate 

 in adult ; lateral line slender, undulate, more or less developed; 

 scales of tail and posterior parts unarmed, similar to those on 

 rest of body ; ventral flap with slender, sharp spines ; third 

 dorsal spine little smaller than second and remote from it. 



BALISTES, 667. 



ee. Dorsal and anal fins low and rounded, their angles and those of 

 caudal not produced ; lateral line obsolete, or with a trace at 

 the shoulder; scales of posterior parts each with a blunt 

 spine or tubercle ; ventral flap narrow, its supporting spines 

 stout and thick in the adult ; third dorsal spine small. 



PACHYNATHUS, 668. 



dd. Gill opening with only ordinary scales behind it; no enlarged plates 

 or scutes; ventral flap scarcely movable, its surface scaled; lat- 

 eral line obsolete; third dorsal spine small or wanting; vertical 

 fins in adult more or less angulate or falcate. 



/. Chin not projecting; cheeks closely scaled; dorsal spines 3; 

 scales of posterior parts unarmed or keeled. 



CANTHIDEBMIg, 669. 



ff. Chin much projecting; cheek with 3 to 5 narrow parallel 

 grooves ; dorsal spines 2 ; scales of posterior parts more or 

 less keeled. XANTHICHTHYS, 670. 



cc. Teeth even, incisor-like ; scales of posterior parts more or less keeled ; a 

 groove before eye, enlarged scutes behind it; lateral line obsolete; 

 third dorsal spine small or wanting ; cheeks entirely scaled, but marked 

 by narrow grooves ; enlarged scales present behind gill opening ; ven- 

 tral flap scarcely movable, its surface scaled; vertical fins more or less 

 angulated. MELICHTHYS, 671. 



667. BALISTES (Artedi) Linnaeus. 



(TRIGGER-FISHES.) 



Salistes (AHTKDi) LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 327, 1758 (vetula). 



Capriscus, KAFINESQUE, Indice, 41, 1810 (capriscus). 



Chalisoma, SWAINSON, Nat. Hist. Class'n Fishes, n, 325,1839 (pulcherrima) . 



Gapriscus, SWAINSON, Nat. Hist. Class'n Fishes, n, 326, 1839 (capriscus, after Capriscus of 



WlLLDGHBY) . 



Body compressed, covered with thick, rough scales or plates of moder- 

 ate size, 50 to 75 in a lengthwise series; a naked groove before eye below 

 nostrils; lateral line more or less developed, very slender, undulate, con- 

 spicuous only when the scales are dry, extending on the cheeks. Pelvic 

 flap large, movable, supported by a series of slender, pungent spines. 

 Caudal peduncle compressed, its scales unarmed, without spines or differ- 

 entiated tubercles similar to those on rest of body. Gill opening with 

 enlarged bony scutes behind it; cheeks entirely scaly, without naked 

 patches or grooves. Both jaws with irregular, incisor-like teeth, usually 

 1 on each side in each jaw. First dorsal of 3 spines, the anterior of which 

 is much the largest, the second acting as a trigger, locking the first when 

 erected ; the third nearly as large as second and remote from it ; second 

 dorsal and anal long, similar to each other, in the adult always falcate or 

 filamentous in front; caudal fin rounded, with the outer rays much pro- 

 duced in the adult; branchiostegals 6; vertebrae 7 -f 10. Species rather 

 few, chiefly American ; some of them straying to the Old World, 



