LEIS: SYSTEMATICS AND ZOOGEOGRAPHY OK THK POKCUPINKFISHES 



nearly as long as dorsal spines (ca. 1.2 in dorsal 

 spines). Spines long and narrow. Subdermal lat- 

 eral bases short (1.5-5 in shaft length) and the 

 shaft extension reduced or lacking. No spines on 

 caudal peduncle, but along base of both dorsal and 

 anal fins there is a spine whose shaft extends onto 

 the peduncle. No short fixed spine with three sub- 

 dermal bases immediately above the gill opening. 

 One or two spines originating between eye and gill 

 opening which extend over the depression sur- 

 rounding the gill opening. No spines on the snout, 

 but a broad spineless area around the eye. Aside 

 from nasal organs, no barbels or tentacles. 



Upper parts in preserved specimens uniformly 

 dark brown to grey with four dark bands descend- 

 ing onto the sides: the first below the eye, the 

 second between the eye and gill opening, the third 

 behind pectoral fin, and the fourth below dorsal 

 fin. The first two bars are swept back and the third 

 swept forward. The second and third bars some- 

 times meet below the pectoral fin to form a ring 

 about its base and the gill opening. White to light 

 grey below a level even with the mouth i except the 

 bars) with no ventral spotting. Fins somewhat 

 dusky but unspotted. In specimens of about 100 

 mm the uniformly dark dorsum is broken up into 



large blotches which appear as continuations of 

 the lateral bars. In smaller fish the dorsal blotches 

 are broken up into small diffuse dark spots (ca. 

 one-half of eye diameter): some of the spots in 

 association with spine bases. Belly is unspotted at 

 all sizes. Le Danois (1959) stated that the bars 

 become lighter in color in large specimens. 



Scott ( 1962:299) gave the following information 

 on live coloration: greenish indigo above, white to 

 silvery below, four dark bars on the sides with 

 several large yellowish spots incorporated in the 

 bars, fins plain yellowish-green and the spines 

 lemon-yellow. An excellent color photograph was 

 provided by Coleman (1974:99). 



The largest specimen examined was 158 mm SL. 

 However, both Le Danois (1959) and Scott ( 1962) 

 reported specimens of 280 mm. A 111-mm speci- 

 men was sexable as a male, but may not have been 

 mature. 



Eggs, larvae, and pelagic stages. — No information. 



Sy nty pes. —MNHN B.1313 (75 mm) and MNHN 

 51 ( 100 mm) taken by Peron and Lesueur in Aus- 

 tralia. M.L. Bauchot examined these specimens 

 and provided notes and photographs. Le Danois 



Figure 14. — Distribution of Diodon nicthemerus (squares), D. liturosus (circles), and D. holocanthus (triangles). Solid and hollow 



symbols as in Figure 8. Dashed line indicates position of the Andesite line. 



551 



