THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 255 



Sub-order G YMNODONTI D^E. 



Fam. TETRAODONTOIDEI, Bleeker. 



Sub-Fam. TETRAODONTIFORMES, Bleeker. 



Group TETRAODONTINI, Bleeker. 



Genus TETRAODON, Linn. 

 Lagocephalus, Swainson. 



Physogaster, gastrophysus, et cheilichthys, Mull. 

 Stenometopus, promecocephalus, amblyrhynchotus, geneion, cataphorhynchus, et 



BATRACII0PS, Bib. 



Anchisomus, pt. Kaup. 



Brachycephalus, et apsicephalus, pt. Holl. 



Uranostoma, et pleuranacanthus, Mus. Par. 



Branchiostegals, from four to six. Body oblong, not keeled. The maxillae and intermaxillaries 

 soldered together, and appearing like a parrot's bill invested with dentary enamel, trenchant, and divided 

 or continuous in the mesial line. Nostrils in the shape of small foraminse, perforating either side of a 

 more or less elevated papilla. Body partially spined or altogether smooth. Dorsal and anal fins short. 

 Branchial orifice consisting of a slender slit. Vertebral column with never more than thirty vertebra?, of 

 which ten or less belong to the trunk. 



J B 



Tetraodon lunaris. 



Tetraodon lunaris, Cuvier, Reg. An. Ed. 1, ii. p. 148 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 378 ; 



Bleeker, Atl. Ich. v. p. pi. 205, f. 2. 

 Kappa koorawah, Russell, pi. 30. 

 Tetrodon tepa, Ham. Buck. pp. 10, 362. 

 Tetrodon leiopleura, Gray, HI. I. Z. i. pi. 87, f. 2, (young.) 



B. v. D. 12-14. P. 16-19. A. 11-12 C. 8-11. 



Length of head J, of pectoral |, of caudal }, of base of dorsal ^, of base of anal ^ of 

 total length. Height of head ^, of body \, of dorsal J, of anal ^ of the total length. 



Eyes — Close to profile, diameter ^ of length of head, If diameters from end of snout, and 

 1^ diameters apart. 



The body tapers off considerably towards the tail, and the width of the orbits is equal to two- 

 thirds of its height when uninflated. 



Nasal papilla oval, perforated on either side by an opening of the nostril ; it is situated 

 midway between the orbit and muzzle. 



Fins — Dorsal situated rather behind the posterior third of the body, its first ray unbranched : 

 it is elevated in front and pointed : anal of the same shape, its first ray undivided : pectoral 

 rounded: caudal with its posterior margin rather crescent-shaped, its external longest ray 

 unbranched. 



Spines — Short and crowded over the chest, and summit of the head. 



Lateral line — Commences in the form of an irregular circle, surrounding the eye, and when. 



