NO. 5 (1921) MADRAS AQUARIUM 8I 



developed as a great pouched sac passing backwards between the 

 skin and abdominal organs. By admitting air or water into 

 this it puffs out like a balloon, doubling at once the diameter of the 

 body. At the same time the thorny spines that lie at rest in the 

 skin, are erected to add emphasis to the horrific appearance of the 

 creature — a marine counterpart of the fretful porcupine. To add 

 to its defences, the flesh is esteemed to be poisonous ; indeed it is 

 the only fish with really unwholesome flesh in our waters, though 

 under certain exceptional or seasonal conditions some other fishes 

 may occasionally (rarely) induce symptoms of poisoning. 



These Puffers are very common at times in the shore seines 

 {karai valai). When drawn from the sea they instinctively inflate 

 themselves and as it is now air with which they are filled, they 

 float helpless, upside down, if thrown back into the sea. These 

 animated footballs are, of course, the joy of every child that is 

 lucky enough to find one on the beach. In Japan the skins are 

 dried inflated with a filling of paddy husk, and later when emptied, 

 are often made to play the part of Chinese lanterns, a candle being 

 ingeniously introduced within. 



The scientific name of the genus is Tetrodou, in allusion to the 

 parrot-like jaws, each armed with two great white cutting teeth, 

 sharply edged, capable of inflicting a nasty wound. Pufl"ers are 

 among the many enemies that young pearl-oysters have to contend 

 with. 



Amongst themselves there is continual strife, and the common- 

 est species at Madras, Tetrodou ohlongus (Tam. Karum pilachai), 

 is particularly pugnacious when excited or hungry. They are apt 

 to set upon any weak or sick fish in the same tank, crowding round 

 it and while one gets hold of the tail, others tear at the pectoral 

 and other fins and the rest bite pieces out anywhere they can get 

 a grip with their great parrot-beak teeth. Whenever Puffers are 

 kept together, they appear a ragged, crippled crowd ; not one 

 amongst them can boast an entire tail ; the other fins are also often 

 bitten down to mere stumps. 



Several specimens of that handsome and useful food-fish, 

 Dre pane punctata, the Spotted Dory, find a home also in this tank. 

 Known in Madras as Pnllithirattai, in the Gulf of Mannar it is called 

 Painthai. It usually moves about in shoals and is one of those 

 bottom-haunting fish that should be caught in large quantities 

 when steam-trawling shall begin to take adequate toll of the 



