‘J|0 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Color, grass-green or olive; back and sides with faint, irregular whitish spots; head plain; spinous 
dorsal and caudal green; second dorsal and anal translucent; adult less variegated; dull olivaceous, 
mottled with dusky. 
This species ranges from (’ape Cod to Cuba, and is abundant on our South Atlantic coast and 
among the Florida Keys, and southward, through the West Indies to Brazil. It is recorded by Jordan & 
Butter from Jamaica, where it is called “mingo”; known from Key West, the Pensacola snapper- 
grounds, Big Gasparilla, and the Anclote Sponge Kraals; apparently not common in Porto -Rico, as the 
collection contains but a single small specimen seined at Boqueron and live larger ones from Puerto Real. 
Batistes hispidus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. XII, 405, 1766, Carolina. 
Batistes broccus Mitchill, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc., 1, 1815, 467, New York. 
Monacanthus filamentosus Valenciennes, lies Canaries, 95, 1836, Canaries; adult. 
Monacanthus gallinula Valenciennes, l.c., 95, Canaries; young. 
Monacanthus varius Ranzani, Nov. Comm. Bonon., V, 6, 1842, Brazil. 
Monacanthus massachusettensis De Kay, N. Y. Fauna: Fishes, 337, pi. 57, tig. 187, 1842, Massachusetts Bay. 
Monacanthus setifer De Kay, N. Y. Fauna: Fishes, 337, pi. 59, fig. 194, 1842, New York Harbor; probably not ol Bennett, 
Monacanthus signifer Storer, Synopsis Fishes N. A., 497, 1846, Massachusetts: substitute for setifer , preoccupied. 
Monacanthus hispidus, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1715, 1898. 
Fig. 72 . — Monacanthus hispidus. 
Genus 121. ALUTERA Cuvier. File-fishes. 
Body oblong or rather elongate, strongly compressed, covered with minute rough scales. Mouth 
and teeth essentially as in Monacanthus, but lower jaw more projecting, so that the lower teeth are 
directed obliquely upward and backward. Gill-opening an oblique slit, longer than eye, situated 
below and in advance of eye, its posterior end behind base of pectoral. Pelvic bone long, falcate, 
movable under skin, without spine at its extremity. Dorsal spine small, inserted over eye, rough, 
but without barbs; soft dorsal and anal long, each of 36 to 50 rays; caudal tin convex; pectoral small. 
Species numerous. 
Ceratacantiius: 
a. Dorsal rays i, 36. 
b. Anal rays 38; coloration nearly uniform schospfii 
bb. Anal rays 38; body covered with small, round dark-brown spots punctata 
aa. Dorsal rays about I, 46; anal rays about 50. 
Osbeckja: 
c. Caudal fin elongate, with rounded angles. Coloration not uniform, head and body with irregular blue Spots and 
lines, besides small round black spots; upper profile of snout concave script a^'M 
Aluteka: 
cc. Caudal fin short, subtruncate, with acute angles. Coloration uniform; upper profile of snout convex... monoceros 
