HFA'IEW OF LOCAL FLSHES 



83 



The Black Angelfish is another of these coinprcssed, deep bodied 

 forms and has a vcmv s(r()n<!; si)ine a( (ho lower angle of the pre-opercle. 

 Amon«z; the small scales on (he body s(ill smaller ones are distributed so 

 that the series are not distincl. Dorsal and anal fins have pointed lobes 

 and the caudal is rounded. The spines in the front of the dorsal are 

 often quite hidden in the scaly membrane of (he fin. Adults ar(i blackish 

 in color, the youn«2; wi(h li<2;ht colored crescent ic cross bands. 



The Doctorfish is a ver}- fine-scaled compressed form with dorsal 

 and anal fins with even margins, that is, not pointed or divided. The 

 spines in the front of the former are rather weak. It has a peculiar 

 erectile spine on either side of the peduncle (the tail end of the body 

 behind the axils of dorsal and anal fins). The Triggerfish, sometimes 

 called Leatherjacket, has a very small mouth with incisor teeth forming 

 a rather beak-like arrangement. The ventral fins are reduced to a single 

 central spiny process. The skin is very heavy and leather-like, but the 

 scales distinct on it. The first dorsal fin is represented by three spines 

 joined in membrane, the first the highest, very strong, the second locking 

 it when erect. 





^^c^^.^- 



FILEFISH 



Through the Doctorfish and Triggerfish we have approached the 

 Filefishes, two species of which are tolerably common here in summer 

 and autumn. They resemble the Triggerfish somewhat but have a 

 single isolated spine only on the back and lack evident scales. In the 



