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p e c to ra l f in s : th e d e ep b lu e b lo tc h e n c lo s in g th e c a u d a l a rm a tu r e is a lso r em a rk a b le ; a n d tlie w h o le
fish is m o re v a r ie d th a n a s r e p r e s e n te d by B lo ch a n d R iip p e l. O n th is a c c o u n t i t is fig u re d in
th e a c c om p a n y in g p la te .
T h e o n ly a n a tom ic a l n o tic e re sp e c tin g i t o c c u rs in M r. C o llie ’s n o te s . H e s ta te s th a t “ tlie
a ir -b la d d e r is v e ry s tro n g o n tb e s id e s , so fo rm e d a s to a p p e a r lik e w h ite c o rd s .”
M o n a c a n t h u s S p i l o s o m a .
Mon. corpore postice caudaque h ispidis: lineis genarum, ccrporisqtte maculis parvis confertis ie rio< is,/w c ii.
D . 1 , 3 8 . A . 33 . C. 10 . P . 15.
P LA T E X X II . F IG . 1.
Ha b . apud Oahu.
A sp e c im en o f this fish « a s p r e s e rv e d b y M r . L a y , a n d p r e s e n te d b y him to th e M u s e um o f tlie
R o y a l C o lleg e o f S u rg e o n s ; from th is sp e c im e n , vvitb th e p e rm is s io n o f th e B o a rd o f C u r a to r s , o u r
fig u re a n d d e s c r ip tio n a r e ta k e n .
I t is n e a r ly sm o o th in fro n t, be com e s m o re hisp id b a c kw a rd s , a n d is c ov e red w ith n um e ro u s b ris tle s
on th e ta il, th e h in d e r b ris tle s b e in g h o o k ed a n d d ire c te d fo rw a rd s.
T h e h e a d is h o llow ed in its pro file from th e m o u th to th e b a s e o f th e s p in e , which is p la c ed ov e r
th e b a c k p a r t o f th e o rb it. B e h in d th e sp in e th e b a c k is n e a r ly s tr a ig h t a s f a r as th e com m e n c em e n t
o f th e d o rs a l fin, a lo n g w h ich i t slo p e s to n e a r th e c a u d a l. T h e bo n e r e p r e s e n tin g th e v e n tra ls
c o rre sp o n d s to n e a r ly th e m id d le o f th e sp a c e b e tw e e n th e sp in e a n d th e dorsa l f in : th e ana l
c om m en c e s a l ittle b e h in d th e p o in t c o rre sp o n d in g to th e b e g in n in g o f th e d o rs a l. T h e c a u d a l
fin is ro u n d e d .
T h e c o lo u r is p a le , s lig h tly r e d d is h b row n ab o v e , a n d n e a r ly w h ite b e n e a th . T h e c h e e k s a n d
jaw s a r e c ro s s e d b y s ix lin e s o f d a rk b row n follow in g th e d ire c tio n o f th e o u tlin e o f th e low e r jaw ,
a n d b re a k in g a fte r pa ssin g i t in to in te r ru p te d b a n d s c om p o s e d o f spots o f th e s am e c o lo u r : a sliort
lin e o c c u rs in f ro n t o f th e s e n e a r th e m o u th , a n d tw o sh o rt line s b e h in d th em u n d e r th e e y e . T h e
m a rk in g s o f th e b o d y c o n s is t o f n um e ro u s s e r ie s o f d a rk -b row n ro u n d e d sp o ts , so close ly s e t a s to
o c c u p y n e a r ly a n e q u a l s h a r e o f th e su rfa c e w ith th e g ro u n d colour. T h e sp o ts tow a rd s th e b a c k a re
sm a lle r th a n th o s e o f th e s id e s , a n d form som ew h a t w a v y lin e s : those o f th e sid e s form lin e s n e a rly
s t r a ig h t : w hile th e lin e s fo rm ed b y th e low e r se rie s o f sp o ts b e n d d ow nw a rd s , fo llow in g th e ou tlin e
o f th e v e n tr a l su rfa c e o f th e fish, a n d m ak in g n e a r th e v e n tr a l bone a n a lm o s t r ig h t a n g le w ith th e lines
d e s c e n d in g from th e h e a d . T h e ed g e o f th e th in p o rtio n su c c e e d in g th e v en tra l, is d e e p b rown,
s lig h tly m a rg in e d w ith b row n ish w h ite .
- T h e p e c to ra l fin is w h ite a n d t r a n s p a r e n t : i t a p p e a rs to h av e h e e n a c u te a t its u p p e r p a rt.
T h e d o r s a l a n d a n a l fins a r e p a le , almo.st w h ite , a n d a r e th ic k ly sp o tte d w ith sm a ll spots o f p a le
b row n ; th e s e a re m o st s tro n g ly m a rk e d on th e do rsa l. Alo n g th e b a s e o f th e a n a l th e r e e x i s t s an
in d ic a tio n o f a w h ite lin e . S om e o f th e a n te r io r ray s o f th e m u tila te d d o r s a l a n d a n a l fins a re tw ic e
(h e le n g th o f th e p o s te r io r ; a n d b o th fins w o u ld ap p e a r to h a v e s lo p e d g rad u a lly b a c kw a rd s . The
c a u d a l fin is r o u n d e d : i t is m a rg in ed w ith de ep b row n : its ra y s a r e p a le h rown, b e com in g b row n e r
tow a rd s th e tip s : tb e m em b ra n e is m ilk -w h ite , a n d is f r in g e d a lo n g th e ed g e o f th e ra y s with b rown
spots som ew h a t m o re in te n s e th a n th e p a r ts o f th e ray s to which th e y a d jo in .
T h e d o rs a l sp in e h a s n in e a c u te t e e th on e a ch sid e , d ir e c te d d ow nw a rd s .
T h e le n g th is fo u r in c h e s a n d a h a lf , in c lu d in g th e c a u d a l fin, w h ic h is se v e n line s lo n g . T h e
b re a d th a t th e v e n tra l fin is tw o in c h e s ; a t th e com m en c em en t o f th e d o rs a l, o n e in c h a n d a h a l f :
b e h in d th e d o rs a l, s ix line s le n g th o f th e sp in e , o n e in ch : from th e n o s e to th e spine , o n e inch one
l in e : from th e sp in e to th e com m e n c em e n t o f th e d o rs a l, o n e in c h th r e e lin e s.
1 ’he te e th a re o v a te a t th e ir tip s , w h ic h a re yellowish b row n .
W e k n ow n o s p e c ie s o f Monacanthus a p p ro a c h in g th e p r e s e n t in m a rk in g . M . C u v ie r ha s in d ic
a te d o ne u n d e r th e n am e o f g u tta tu s , b u t h a s n o t d e sc ribed i t ; a n d we a re co n s eq u en tly u n a b le to
d e te rm in e w b a t re la tio n i t m a y b e a r to th e o n e be fore u s.
y / y y / Z / v / ^ / J , I, .
J . ( y y y / Z y / ^ / y r / y y j t ^ ' Z / / f / / y y \
V- iiii