



Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1701 



pressed; no spinules on caudal peduncle; a few larger scutes behind gill 

 openings; groove before eye slight, not naked. Lateral line traceable for 

 most of its length. First dorsal spine very stout, the third remote, mod- 

 erate; dorsal moderately elevated and falcate; anal rounded; caudal 

 double concave, the pointed outer rays longer than the rounded inner 

 ones. Dark dull olive green, nearly plain, edges of scales largely pale blue, 

 especially toward the tail; faint traces of numerous dark cross bands; no 

 streaks on cheeks; fins dusky olive, the pectoral and first dorsal paler, 

 base of pectoral dusky. Several specimens, each about a foot long, were 

 taken from the wreck of a French man-of-war in the Astillero at Mazat- 

 lan by using dynamite. Found in company with Pomacanthus zonipectus 

 and Xcaurua punciatm. (naufragium, a shipwreck.) 



Balistes nav/ragium, JORDAN <fc STARKS, Fishes of Sinaloa, in Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1895, 488, 

 Mazatlan . (Type, No. 1656, L. S. Jr. Univ. Mus. Coll. Hopkins Expedition to Sinaloa.) 



2116. BALISTES CAROLINENSI8, Gmelin. 



(LEATHER JACKET; CUCUYO; "TURBOT.") 



Head 3 ; depth If. D. Ill, 27 ; A. 25 ; scales usually about 60 (55 to 63) ; 

 about 35 scales in an oblique series from vent upward and forward. Third 

 dorsal spine shorter but stouter than the second and remote from it ; plates 

 on head similar to those on body ; caudal lobes produced in adult ; soft 

 dorsal high, its longest rays elevated but not filamentous, in adult 1J in 

 head. Ventral flap large, supported by several slender pungent spines, 

 resembling fin spines. Lateral line very slender, showing only as the 

 scales begin to dry, its course everywhere undulating and very crooked; 

 it extends from eye backward to interspace between dorsals, then bends 

 abruptly and obliquely downward to opposite first third of anal, then 

 forms a V-shaped figure, returning back to level of middle of caudal 

 peduncle, whence nearly straight to base of caudal ; a branch from behind 

 eye extends obliquely downward and forward to the breast below pecto- 

 rals ; a cross branch at the nape connects the lateral lines of the two sides. 

 Color in life, olive gray; a more or less distinct darker cross bar under 

 front of second dorsal and 1 under last ray ; some small violet spots on 

 upper part of back; usually a ring of blue spots, alternating with olive- 

 green streaks, about eye ; violaceous marks on sides of snout ; first dorsal 

 spotted and clouded with bluish ; second dorsal pale yellowish with clear 

 sky-blue spots separated by olive-green reticulations, the spots arranged in 

 rows; blue markings all fading in alcohol, leaving the olivaceous streaks; 

 base of dorsal with 3 or 4 dark diifuse shades in the young; base of pecto- 

 ral bluish, with olive spots; anal colored like soft dorsal; pectoral green- 

 ish. Tropical parts of the Atlantic; occasional northward in the Gulf 

 Stream ; very common on our coast and in the Mediterranean, rarely north 

 to England. (Eu.) 



Batistes carolinensis, GMELIN, Syst. Nat., I, 1468, 1788, Carolina. 



Balistes capriscus, GMELIN, Syst. Nat., i, 1471, 1788, Indian and American Oceans, after 



GRONOW; GUNTHER, Cat., vm, 217, 1870; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 855, 1883. 

 Balistes buniva, LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., I, 1798, Nice ; on a specimen received from 



Professor Buniva. 



