414 



acUleated file-fish. 



Baiistes Aculeatus. B.ferrugineus, vertice thoracisque lateribus 



cceruleo-striatisj caudce lateribus spinis recumbentibus. 

 Ferruginous File-Fish^ with the top of the head and sides of 



the thorax streaked with blue, and the sides of the tail beset 



with rows of recumbent spines. 

 Baiistes aculeatus. B. pinna dorsali anteriore triradiata, caudce 



lateribus spinis recumbentibus. Lin. Syst, Nat, Block, t. 149. 



Shape oval : length twelve or more inches : colour 

 rufous brown, with a few purplish bands across the 

 hinder part of the abdomen, and sometimes along 

 the middle of the body : from the top of the eye to 

 the crown four bright-blue lines, diverging in such 

 a manner as to form a blue-striped lozenge on 

 that part : from thq bottom of the eye three or four 

 longer lines of the same colour running as far as 

 the pectoral fin ; the space between the lines being 

 blackish : skin rough, and strongly crossed into 

 reticular squares : on each side the end of the body 

 three longitudinal rows of spines : ventral processes 

 very rough : first dorsal fin triradiate, with the first 

 ray very rough : tail rounded : native of the In- 

 dian, American, and Red seas : varies in colour, 

 and is sometimes of a gilded hue. 



