THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO. 
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remote from it; caudal fin widely forked, lobes filamentous and about equal; dorsal in adult filamentous 
at tip; anal little elevated anteriorly. 
Color in life: Olivaceous, yellowish below, especially on breast; lips green, bordered behind by a 
narrow blue line; a narrow blue line narrowly bordered by yellow, from blue line surrounding mouth 
backward and curving downward across lower side of cheek toward throat; a similar but broader 
band from above snout across cheek and parallel with first to below base of pectoral; a narrow blue 
line at base of pectoral; about 8 or 10 narrow, black, wavy lines very narrowly bordered with 
yellowish-green, radiating from eye; below eye a similar black line extending in an upward curve 
from above snout to base of pectoral; soft dorsal greenish at base, somewhat purplish above, with 2 or 
3 irregular, broken, narrow blue lines near border, these sometimes being more numerous; anterior 
part of soft dorsal with a narrow blue line extending from base of first ray upward to height of about 
tenth ray; anal olivaceous with a broad subterminal blue band anteriorly convex and bordered by 
yellowish; tip of fin and prolonged external rays faint-purplish; caudal peduncle with a broad blue 
ring anteriorly followed by two narrow pale-blue lines, last at base of caudal fin; caudal greenish-olive, 
a narrow blue line following direction of first ray for nearly its entire length, and a broader blue 
subterminal band extending across fin from first to last ray; spinous dorsal purplish and greenish, 
anterior side of first spine blue, second and third spines pale; iris with an orange ring and radiating 
lines of white and blue. In alcohol most of these colors disappear, the broad blue lines on side of 
head changing to blackish. 
This interesting fish is found throughout the West Indies and occasionally northward in the 
Gulf Stream to Woods Hole, Mass.; not uncommon at Key West; recorded by Jordan & Rutter from 
Jamaica, where it is called “ Bessy Cerka”; recorded also from the Bahamas and Ascension Island; 
probably not uncommon about Porto Rico; the collection contains four excellent specimens from 
Arroyo, where other individuals were seen in the possession of local fishermen. 
Guapervci Marcgrave, Hist. Bras., 163, 1648, Brazil. 
Tardus oculo radiato (the Old Wife), Catesby, Hist. Carol., pi. 22, 1725, Bahamas. 
Balistes vetula Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. X, 329, 1758, Ascension Island; after Batistes ve Lula of Osbeck, Iter Chin ensis 
294, 1757. 
Balistes bellus Walbaum, Artedi Piscium, III, 467, 1792, West Indies; after Froyer. 
Chaliosma velata Swainson, Class. Fishes, II, 325, 1839; probably a misprint for vetula. 
Balistes equestris Gronow, Cat. Fishes, ed. Gray, 31, 1854, American seas. 
Balistes vetula , Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1703, 1898. 
Family LVII. MONACANTHIDAt. The File-fishes. 
Body much compressed, covered with very small rough scales, forming a velvety covering; males 
sometimes with spines on caudal peduncle. Upper jaw with a double series of incisor-like teeth, 6 in 
outer and 4 in inner series; lower jaw with 6 similar teeth in a single series; first dorsal with a single 
strong spine and generally a rudimentary one behind it; second dorsal long, similar to anal; ventral 
fins reduced to a simple osseous, fixed or movable, small appendage at end of long pelvic bone; this 
appendage often rudimentary or entirely absent; no barbel; vertebrae 7 j-11 to 14=18 to 21. 
Herbivorous shore-fishes of warm seas, closely allied to the Balistidse, differing chiefly in having 
the first dorsal represented by a single spine, behind which is sometimes a rudiment; scales small, 
spinigerous, skin mostly rough-velvety. The family contains 6 or more genera and about 50 species, 
mostly small in size and not used as food, having little flesh and that of a bitterish taste. 
a. Pubic bone with a small spine at its end; gill-opening short, nearly vertical; dorsal and anal moderate, each of 
fewer than 40 rays. 
b. Pelvic spine fixed. 
bb. Pelvic spine movable. 
c. Dorsal spine armed with strong retrorse barbs, usually in two series Monacanthus, 120 
d. Dorsal spine with about 4 series of small barbs I’seudomonacanthus 
del. Dorsal spine without barbs Cantherines, 119 
aa. Pubic bone without spine at its end; gill-opening long, oblique; dorsal and anal long, each of 40 or more rays; 
dorsal spine without barbs, inserted above orbit Alutera, 121 
Genus 119. CANTHERINES Swainson. 
'This genus differs from Monacanthus chiefly in the absence of barbs on the dorsal spine, which is 
long, strong, and placed over the front of the eye. Scales minute. Species few. 
F. C. B. 1900—17 
