Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North A?)ierica. 1735 



Ostracion oblongus glaber, Aetedi, Genera Piscium, genus 60, 1738; after Clusids, "Will- 



UGHBY, etc., Balk, Amoen. Aoad., i, 591, 1749. 

 Orbis Icevis variegatus (the Globe Fish), Catesby, Nat. Hist. Carolina, pi. 28, 1743, Virginia. 

 Tetraodon testudineus, Linn^us, Syst. Kat., Ed. x, 332, 1758 ; based on Balk and Artedi. 

 ? Tetrodon punctatus. Block & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 506, 1801, Brazil ; Poey, Synopsis, 



432, 1868. 

 Tetrodon geometricus, Block & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 508, 1801, Virginia ; alter Catesby. 

 Tetrodon ammocryptu^, GossE, Nat. Sojourn Jamaica, 287, 1851, Jamaica. 

 Anchuomus reticularis (Kaup) Eickardson, Voyage Herald, 161, pi. 31, 1854; not Tetrodon 



reticularis, BLOCK & Schneider, which is Tetrodon tcsttidineus, Bloch, not of 



LlNN^US. 



Holacanthus leionothos, Gronow, Cat. Fishes, Ed. Gray, 24, 1854, American Ocean. 

 Tetrodon teitudineus, Gunther, Cat.,viii, 282, 1870; Poey, Enumeratio, 172, 1872; Jordan 



& Gilbert, Synopsis, 861, 1883. 

 Spheroides testiidineus, Jordan & Edwards, 2. c, 239; Jordan & Kdtter, Proc. Ac. Nat. 



Sci. Phila. 1897, 130. 



2151. SPHEROIDES ANNULATUS * (Jenyns). 



Head 3; depth 4; eye small, 4 to 5 in bead. D. 8; A. 7; interorbital 

 space very broad, nearly flat, its width 3^ in head, 1^ in snout, which is If 

 in head. Body robust, moderately inflatable ; the head broad and short ; 

 snout short, steep, and nearly straight in profile; caudal subtruncate, If in 

 head; dorsal rather high; pectoral broad, truncate, the lower angle 

 rounded, upper parts from nostrils to dorsal covered with small, sharp 

 prickles, closely set; a few prickles on lower part of cheek and on front 

 of belly ; most of belly smooth with longitudinal wrinkles, the spines 

 embedded in the thick skin ; whole body sometimes entirely smooth (jtoli- 

 tus). Caudal peduncle smooth ; upper parts everywhere with small, round, 

 blackish spots, much smaller than pupil, these most conspicuous on sides 

 of body and on sides of head; back dark brown with concentric pale 

 rings and curved streaks or sutures; a V-shaped mark before dorsal, an 

 ellipse surrounding it extending just before dorsal and behind nape; 2 

 dark, oblique bars on caudal peduncle, with 3 corresijonding oblique 

 streaks on head, these markings less distinct in old examples, the dark 



* Concerning this species Dr. Gilbert remarks: 



^'Spheroides annuUitiis is \ cry elosr to Siihi'ioiilcn ici'^/if/jicMS of the tropical Atlantic, dif- 

 fering probably in flic ,s(iiii,\\ hal l(in-.r SIM lilt. I li.' smaller size of the black spots on back 

 and sides, and the weaker (lr\ i l..|,iii, ut of the spim s, wliieh rarely protrude in adults. 

 The only ditt'ereuces which have been alleged to .separate pulitus from annulatus (heraldi) 

 is the greater development of spines in the latter, politus being described as perfectly 

 smooth. The young, however, usually have evident spines; the pits which contain the 

 spines can always be made out in adults, and the spines occasionally protrude, and are 

 evident in specimens differing in.no other respects from others which are perfectly .smooth. 

 This is due in part to varying developments of the spines, but is largely attributable 

 to differences in state of preservation and degree of inflation. Toung specimens seem 

 always to show the concentric light rings in front of the dorsal fin, and the light cross 

 bars on head and nape, the latter extending downward and backward on sides. The 

 smallest ring is usually connected with the one surrounding it by a median line running 

 forward, and by a cross streak on each side. The dark areas are sometimes solid and uni- 

 form, more frequently covered with small, round, black spots, and sometimes divided by 

 reticulating light-blue lines into small polygonal blotches. The lower part of the side^ 

 is marked with large black spots. Larger specimens often have this pattern of colora- 

 tion indistinct, adults showing back and sides almost uniformly covered with small black 

 spots." 



Among our many specimens from Mazatlan we find all ranges of variations, from those 

 wholly without spines to those prickly above and below, both kinds being taken in the 

 same haul of the net. 



