1706 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



ray 3|; eye 5 in head, 4 in snout; pectoral short, rounded; caudal me- 

 sially convex, the points produced and equal ; first dorsal spine over base of 

 pectoral; distance from tip of snout to tip of pelvis equal to greatest 

 depth of body ; dorsal and anal falcate ; scales granulated, those on the 

 pelvis and base of dorsal and anal longer than broad; those of caudal 

 region keeled or spinescent. Dark brown ; vertical fins dusky ; sexes simi- 

 lar; air bladder large ; no pyloric caecum. Length 2 feet. West Indies, 

 rarely north in the Gulf Stream to Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where 2 

 young individuals, agreeing essentially with Cope's description of C. 

 asperrimus, were recently obtained by the U. S. Fish Commission. (Sobaco, 

 the Spanish name at Havana.) 



Balistes sobaco, POEY, Memorias, n, 324, 1861, Havana. 



Balistes asperrimus, COPE, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 1871, 478, supposed to be from St. 

 Martins. 



2121. CANTHIDERMIS SUFFLAMEN (Mitchill). 

 ( SOB AGO.) 



D. Ill, 27 ; A. 25. Differs from Canthidermis sobaco in the larger eye, 

 which is 3 in the oblique length of snout. Points of dorsal and anal 

 longer, that of dorsal 3 in total length ; produced tips of caudal longer, 

 reaching beyond the convex middle of fin. Scales of trunk without 

 median spine or keeL Body more elongate. Dorsal and pelvic spines 

 smoother than in C. sobaco; scales generally less rough. Plain brownish; 

 sexes similar. West Indies; our specimens from Havana. This species 

 and the preceding are referred by Gunther to the synonymy of Canthi- 

 dermis maculatus. This reference seems to be incorrect. Canthidermis 

 maculatus is covered with round white spots ; its vertical fins are higher 

 than in C. sufflamen, and the number of fin rays is much less, (sufflamen, 

 an impediment; referring to the second dorsal spine, which prevents the 

 depression of the first.) 



Sobaco, PARRA, Dif. Piezas Hist. Nat. Cuba, 17, f. 10, 1787, Havana. 



Balistes sufflamen, MITCHILL, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. 3ST. Y., 1, 1815, 467, locality unknown ; 



said by De Kay to be from tlie South Atlantic. 

 Balistes macrops, POEY, Memorias, n, 326, 1861, Havana. 



2122. CANTHIDERMIS MACULATUS (Bloch). 



(OCEAN TURBOT.) 



Body elongate. D. Ill, 24 (II, according to Bloch, who overlooked the 

 third spine; III, 22, according to Gronow); A. 21 (19). Dorsal and anal 

 fins short and high; body and fins with round blue spots; eye small; 

 scales without median keel. West Indies. (Bloch.) Not seen by us. 

 The description of Bloch agrees apparently with the species called Balistes 

 melanopterus by Cope, who describes a specimen from "Darien," but 

 whether from the Colon or the Panama side of the isthmus is not stated; 

 probably the former. If we can trust descriptions, this species (macu- 

 latus = melanopterus) is closely allied to the one here called Canthidermis 

 sufflamen, differing in the shorter dorsal and anal and the spotted body. 



