356 Transactions. 



is a dark orange-red lateral streak about ^ in. in width above the base of 

 anal fin. Membrane of the spinose dorsal light blue, the spines being deeper. 

 Membrane of branched portion dark blue. There is a small light patch at 

 base of 6th-7th spines of the dorsal, and a light band extends all along the 

 base of the soft dorsal the colours of which have not been noted, but it 

 appears as though it may have been pale orange-red. Pectorals dull orange 

 tipped with dark blue. Caudal deep violet, a Little lighter on margins. 

 Ventral spines and rays dark blue, membrane light blue. 



Measurements. — Total length, 380 mm. ; total height, 100 mm. ; length 

 of head. 100 mm. ; diameter of eye, 10 mm. ; interocular space, 30 mm. 



Loc. — Tiritiri Island, Hauraki Gulf ; Cuvier Island, near Auckland ; 

 Bondi, near Sydney, N.S.W. 



Family TETRAODONTIDAE. 



Genus Spheroides Dumeril, 1806. 

 Spheroides nitidus n. sp. (Plate LV, fig. 2.) 



Tetrodon sp. Clarke in Trans. N.Z. Inst,, vol. 29, p. 247, 1897. 



D. XIV ; A. XIII ; P. XIV ; C. IX. 



Body moderately elongate, naked above and on sides. Abdomen 

 covered with about 30 rows of large subequal four-rooted spines, which 

 commence beneath the vertical of anterior margin of eye, extending nearly 

 to vent. Length of caudal peduncle equals distance from end of snout to 

 posterior margin of eye. A ridge on lower side of tail extends a little 

 beyond vent. Lateral line very indistinct ; it crosses the snout anteriorly, 

 and, passing under the nostrils, extends backwards over the eye, falling 

 down behind that organ to about half its diameter, where it ends abruptly. 

 The second and greater portion commences at top of operculum a little in 

 advance of gill-opening ; it extends along the upper part of back to about 

 half the length of fish, then bending steeply downwards becomes lost on 

 caudal peduncle. A fine branch line is present which reaches across the 

 nape, but it fails to connect with its fellow on the other side. Dorsal and 

 anal fins falcate, equal in height, and about 1\ in head; they are placed 

 on raised muscular bases. The anterior rays are subequal in length ; the 

 remainder decrease rapidly backwards. Origin of anal is in the vertical 

 from middle of dorsal. Caudal lunate, the rays .of lower lobe being slightly 

 the longest, about \\ in the head. Interorbital space slightly convex, 1^ 

 times as wide as eye ; there is a slight mesial depression above the hinder 

 portion of eyes. Nostrils each with two simple openings, situated much 

 nearer the eye than end of snout. Gill-opening very oblique, broader than 

 base of pectoral. Eye moderate, about 4 in the head, situated midway 

 between gill-opening and tip of snout. 



Loc. — Auckland and Tauranga Harbours. 



Colour. — Dorsal uniform dark steel-blue. Sides bright silver ; sides 

 of head bright silver streaked with dusky purple ; top of head black. 

 A curved row of 4 black spots about the size of a pea below the eye ; 

 similar but smaller black spots are found on sides of opercles and cheeks. 

 Three or four rows of black spots of various sizes are distributed over sides 

 below pectoral and on upper portion of abdomen. Caudal and dorsal 

 fin dark brown, almost black. Anal dirty yellowish-white. Pectoral with 

 its upper rays dark brown, the lower being somewhat lighter. Eyes 

 yellowish-silver and blue-black. Throat and belly creamy white. 



