152 



CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Family BALISTID^. 

 282. Balistes polylepis Steindachner. 



Not uncommon at Panama; three specimens were collected which agree very 

 well with Steindachner's description of the type and co-types from the west coast of 

 Mexico. 



It may be distinguished from B. carolinensis by the smaller scales, deeper 

 body, more elevated and convex interorbital, less sharply angulated anal, and the 

 shorter caudal lobes. Our three specimens of B. carolinensis all have 24 anal rays, 

 while B. polylepis has 25 or 26; the lateral series of scales of carolinensis are 55 or 

 56 in number, those of polylepis 69 to 73. B. carolinensis has the depth of the body 

 contained twice in the length, piolyle-pis 1| to 1|^ times; in carolinensis the caudal 

 lobes are somewhat longer, more slender and of equal length, while in polylepis the 

 lower lobe is the shorter. 



AfeasureinetUs i?i Hundredths of Length without Caudal. 



Length without caudal, in mm 



Head 



Depth 



Orbit 



Snout 



Interorbital 



Length of pectoral 



Height of anterior part of soft dorsal 



Height of anterior part of anal 



Length of middle caudal rays 



Dorsal rays 



Anal rays 



Scales, from upper part of gill-opening.. 



211 



32 



59 



7 

 26 

 II 



13J 

 27 



23 



20 



111,27 



25 

 70 



283. Balistes naufragium Jordan (fe Starks. 



The commonest Balistoid in Panama Bay; many specimens were taken about 

 the rocky islands. 



We have re-examined the type of the species, from Mazatlan, and correct 

 here a few slight errors in the original description: 



Dorsal III, 26; anal 24; scales 50. Head to lower end of gill-slit 2% in body. 

 Snout 1[ in head; eye 5'1; longest dorsal ray If; longest anal ray l^; pectoral 1|. 



