272 PLECTOGNATHI. 



Genus II OiiTHAGORiSCUS, Bl. Schn. 



Cephalus, Shaw. Tympanomium, Diplanchias, Trematopsis, and Ozodura, 

 Ranzani. Ranzania, Nardo. PendaUon, Guilding. 



Body short and compressed, covered ivith a rough or else witha smooth tessellated shin 

 which cannot be distended with air : tail port ion of the body very short, and truncated. 

 Jaivs without any median suture. Vertical fins more or less confluent. Ventrals 

 absent. No pelvic bones. No air-bladder. An accessory opercular gill. 



The young of these fishes or Orthagoriscus ("a little pig," which name it has 

 obtained from its grunting), undergo very great changes in form before they 

 attain that which is found in the adult, insomuch that they have been placed in 

 a distinct family. The species forming this genus have been thus subdivided : 



A. Orthagoriscus. Skin rough. 



B. Ranzania. Skin smooth and tessellated. 



Liitken, however, considers these fish should be in two distinct genera, for 

 besides other characteristics, one has an osseous, the other a cartilaginous skeleton. 



Geographical distribution. Cosmopolitan and pelagic but frequently approach- 

 ing the shore, where they are seen basking or sleeping on the surface of the sea. 

 They attain a large size, and oil can be obtained from their livers. 



A. Skin rough {Orthagoriscus) . 

 Orthagoriscus mola, Plate CXLVIII. 



Orthagoriscus s. Luna piscis, Rondel, p. 424; Gesner, p. 640. Mola, Salv. 

 fol. 155 ; Aldrov. lib. iii, c. 45, p. 410. Mola Salviani, Willughby, p. 151, t. I 26 ; 

 Jonston, lib. i, tit. i, cap. 3, t. ix, f. 2 ; Ray, Pise. p. 51 ; Borlase, Cornwall, p. 267, 

 t. xxvi, f. 7; Briin. Pise. Mass. p. 8. Ostracion, sp. Artedi, Synon. p. 83, no. 4, 

 Gen. p. 61, no. 22 ; Gronov. Zooph. nos. 185 and 186. Short diodon, Pennant, 

 Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) iii, p. 129, pi. xix (Ed. 1812) iii, p. 172, pi. xxii. Mole, 

 Duhamel, Peches, ii, sect, ix, p. 306, pi. xxiii. 



Tetrodon mola, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 412 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1447 ; Lacep. i, 

 p. 509 ; Bonnaterre, Ency. Ich. p. 25, pi. xvii, f. 54 ; Donovan, Brit. Fishes, ii, 

 pi. xxv. 



Diodon mola, Pallas, Spec. Fas. viii, p. 39, t. iv, f. 7 ; Bloch, t. exxviii. 



Orthagoriscus mola, Bl. Schn. p. 510; Flem. Brit. An. p. 175; Jenyns, 

 Manual, p. 490; W. O. Bellingham, Mag. Nat. Hist. 1840 (2) iv, p. 235; 

 Schlegel, Fauna Japon. Poiss. p. 288, t. 127, and De Dieren Neder. p. 182; 

 Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (ed. 1) ii, p. 350, c. fig. (ed. 2) ii, p. 462 (ed. 3) ii, p. 432 ; 

 Parnell, Wern. Mem. vii, p. 401; Storer, Mass. Reports, p. 170, pi. iii, f. 1, 

 and Mem. Amer. Acad, viii, p. 420, pi. xxxiv, f . 2 ; Templeton, Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 1837 (2), i, p. 413 ; De Kay, New York Fauna, Fish, p. 331, pi. lix, f. 193 ; Bennett, 

 Whaling Voyage, ii, p. 262 ; Kroyer, Danm. Fiske, iii, p. 732; Nilss. Skand. Fauna, 

 iv, p. 697; Parlby, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1849, p. 6; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 3 - 29 ; 

 Costa, Fauna Nap. Pesc. tav. lxiii, lxiv ; White, Catal. p. 117; Thompson, Nat. 

 Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 243 ; Klunzinger, Fisch. Rothen Meeres, p. 648 ; Giinther, 

 Catal. viii, p. 317 ; W hither, Pro. Ich. Dan. Mar. ii, p. 54 ; Andrews, Proc. Dub. 

 Soc. 1871, vi, pi. ii ; Canest. Faun. Ital. p. 148 ; Malm, Fauna, p. 599 ; Collett, 

 Norges Fisk. p. 203; Moreau, Poiss. de la France, ii, p. 74; Giglioli, Catal. Pesc. 

 Ital. p. 50. 



Orthragoriscus fasciatus, Bl. Schn. p. 511. 



Tetrodon mola, Gmel. Linn. p. 1447. 



