DOWNY FILE-FISH^ 



blrmvn, varied with numerous ocellated or areolated 

 dusky spots : at some distance beyond the top of 

 the head a long serrated spine : ventral spines 

 slightly projecting: tail rounded, and marked in 

 the middle by a black spot : on each side the ex- 

 tremity of the body immediately adjoining to the 

 tail are situated very numerous small recurved 

 j!pines, to the number of an hundred on a side. 

 Native of the American and Indian seas. The 

 Indian variety is said by Commerson to be of a 

 dusky or blackish colour^ 



DOWNY FILE-FISH. 



Balistes Tomentosus. B. abdomine Tentricoso maculato, lateri" 



bus versus caudam hirsutis. 

 File-Fish with spotted ventricose abdomen^ and sides setaceous 



towards the tail. 

 Balistes tomentosus. B. pinna capitis biradiata, corporc poste- 



rius subvilloso. Lin; Syst. Nat. 



Length a few inches : shape broad oval, with the 

 abdomen projecting greatly beyond the outline of 

 the other parts : colour yellowish brown, the project- 

 ing abdomen being marked with numerous, small, 

 dusky, semilunar streaks : ventral spines very 

 strong: above the head a very strong and thick 

 spine, serrated on the hind part • pectoral fms 

 small : dorsal and anal opposite, and rather shallow : 

 tail rounded ; the extremity of the body imme- 

 diately preceding it being furnished on each side 

 with numerous, small, reversed spines : whole skin 



