404 



RINGENT FILE-FISH. 



Balistes Ringens. B. niger, cute in rhombos dima. ' 



Black File-Fish, with the skin marked into rhombic divisions, 



Balistes ringens. B. pinna dorsali anterior e triradiata, lateribus 



capitis triplicatis, cauda bifida. Lin, Si/st. Nat. 

 Balistes pinna anali brevi, aculeis dviobus in pinna dorsali 



prinia. Block, t. lh2.f. 2. 



Length ten or twelve inches: shape oval: colour 

 entirely black, except a streak of blue along the 

 base of each of the pectoral fins, and across the 

 tail : skin strongly marked by cross lines into 

 lozenges or scale-like squares : above the eyes a 

 small fin, with two or three rays, the first very 

 strong and serrated : dorsal and anal opposite : tail 

 slightly lunated : teeth strong, and by their white 

 colour forming a striking contrast with the jetty 

 hue of the skin : eyes blue. Native of the Indian^ 

 and American seas. 



Var. 



WHITE-FINNED FILE-FISH. 



Similar to the preceding, but with the pectoral, 

 dorsal, and anal fins white, with a narrow bl^ck 

 border : tail white at the base, the remainder 

 orange-coloured. Observed about the coasts of 

 Otaheitee by Capt. G. Tobin, 



