Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1707 



Possibly Giinther is right in referring sufflamen, macrops, oculatus, and 

 willnghbeii to the synonymy of maculatus, but in that case the variations 

 in color and in fin rays must be unusually large, (maculatus, spotted.) 



Balistes radio dorsalc ventraliyue humilimo, etc., GRONOW, Zoophyl., 192, 1765, American 



Ocean; dorsal rays ill, 22; A. 19; belly spotted with white. 

 Batistes maculatus, BLOCH, Ichthyologia, pi. 151,1786, West Indies (based on a specimen 



with D. II, 24; A. 21 ; body and fins spotted with blue) ; GUNTHE&, Cat., vin, 213, 1870; 



in part. 



Batistes americanus, GMELIN, Syst. Nat., I, 1472, 1788, America ; after GRONOW. 

 Balistes macropterus, "WALBAUM, Artedi Pise., in, 465, 1792, America; after GRONOW. 

 1 Balistes oculatus,* GRAY, Hardwicke's Illust. Ind. Zool., Fishes, pi. 8, fig. 1,1832, India 



(young) ; figured by BLEEKEH, with white spots. D. Ill, 24; A. 21. 

 Balistes rufus, GRONOW, Cat. Fishes, Ed. Gray, 36, 1854, American Ocean. D. Ill, 22; 



A. 19; after GRONOW. 

 Balistes longus, GRONOW, Cat. Fishes, Ed. Gray, 37, 1854, American Ocean. D. Ill 24- 



A. 21; color reddish, paler below; eye moderate, 



Balistes melanopterusj COPE, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 1871, 478, Darien. 

 Batistes maculatus, DAY, Fishes of India, 688, 1878,* in part. 



2123. CAXTHIDERHIS WILLUGHBEII (Lay & Bennett). 



Head 3^; depth 2^; eye moderate, about 4 in snout. D. Ill, 20; A. 17; 

 scales about 63. Body elongate, covered with smoothish scales, those on 

 caudal peduncle not keeled. Third dorsal spine small, not far behind 

 second; ventral flap as in Xanthichthys, obscure, immovable, scaled over 

 in adult. Jaws subequal. Dorsal and anal short and high, the longest 

 dorsal ray 3^ in body, longer than base of fin. Caudal mesially rounded, 

 with sharp angles. No lateral line. Greenish, with round bluish spots 

 from size of pupil nearly to size of eye, on body and bases of vertical fins. 



* The following is Day's description of the East Indian species, Canthidermis oculatus 

 (Gray), to which he gives the name Canthidermis maculatus. This description apparently 

 refers especially to Canthidermis oculatus, but it includes Atlantic specimens, and may be 

 confused with Canthidi'nnis sujflamen: 



"B. VI. D. Ill, 26 or 27; P. 15; A. 24 or 25; C. 12; scales 46 to 55; L. tr. 28; length of 



nearly as long as head; ventral spine usually movable; posterior edge of caudal convex 

 or undulated; second dorsal and anal high anteriorly, especially in adults. Cheeks 

 entirely scaled; no osseous scutes behind gill opening. Scales rough and granulated, but 

 without spines or prominent tubercles, except in the immature. Bluish black; young 

 examples are covered with numerous light blotches, more especially in lower half of body, 

 these spots are less numerous and larger in adults ; dorsal spine black; eyes hazel. Indian 

 and Atlantic Oceans, more especially in their tropical and subtropical portions; also the 

 Pacific, and occasionally on the British coast. It is very common at Madras, attaining at 

 least 16 inches in length." 



t The following is Cope's description of Balistes melanopterus : 



Radii 2. D. 24; A. 21. Diameter of orbit twice in muzzle and teeth; front convex in 

 profile, head rather acuminate; anal depth 2.66 times in same. Length of head (to 

 branchial slit) 3.33 in same. Anterior rays much larger than posterior, hut not produced 

 beyond membrane. Extremity of caudal fin slightly rounded. First spinous dorsal ray 

 as long as from orbit to rictus oris, rugose, the ruga3 almost spinous distally, the points 

 all directed forward, not outward, as in B. asperrimus. Third spine well developed. 

 Scales with 3 rows of spines on posterior and 4 on anterior part of body. On the former 

 1 anterior is prominent and directed backward, some 10 rows being most marked; they 

 disappear toward other parts of the body, and the smaller spines become tubercles. The 

 whole surface of the scale is covered with these, and the radiating ridges which converge 

 towards them. Scales on scapular region very small. Pelvic plate narrow, without 

 joint, cheek scales in transverse series. Post-pelvic rays indistinct or wanting. Color 

 blackish above, brown below, spotted except on head and anterior part of back with pale- 

 brown spots smaller than pupil ; unpaired fins uniform black. Darien. Length 4 inches. 



