Jordan and Evcnnann. — Fishes of North America. 



1737 



trumate, li in liead ; pectoral obliquely rounded. Color ^ grayish; back 

 and sides closely covered with sharply defined, roundish or oblong, black- 

 ish spots, varying from size of pupil upward, some of them quite small, 

 those on back confluent into curved concentric or transverse streaks, 

 surrounding median pale areas ; 5 to 10 close-set, transverse, dark streaks 

 on top of head and front of back, the markings varying considerably in 

 different specimens, but always sharply defined, and forming spots and 

 concentric bars and ellipsoids. Panama. Here described from numerous 

 specimens obtained by the Albatross, the longest about 10 inches long. 

 This species seems allied to Sjfheroidcs hajacu (Castelnau), from Bahia, and 

 is very distinct from S2)heroides aiinulatiis. {formosns, comely.) 

 Tctrodon fornwsus, GOnthek, Cat., vui, 283, 1870, South America. (Coll. Cuming.) 



2153. SPHEROTDES FURTHl (Stoincl.icliner). 



Head 2|. D. 8; A. 7; eye 4 in head, about equal to the interorbital 

 width, which is 3| to 4| in head; snout short, profile of snout rather steep, 

 its length 2h to 2f in head. Numerous fine sharp spines on upper parts of 

 body from eyes to base of dorsal fin, and below from throat to vent ; a slight 

 fold along each side of tail; caudal fin weakly concave. Brownish above, 

 with small irregular bluish-gray spots; sometimes 3 faint blackish cross 

 bands, the foremost on the forehead, the others on the back before the 

 dorsal; a dark band on base of pectoral; fins yellowish. (Steindachner.) 

 Panama; rather scarce. Length 3i inches. (Named for Ignatius Flirth.) 

 Tetrodon Jurthi, Steixdaciinee, Ichth. Beitriige, v, 22, 1874, Panama (Coll. Fiirth) ; Jor- 

 dan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1885, 393. 

 Sphoeroidesfurthi, Jokdan >S; Edwakds, I. c, 236. 



21.54. SPHEROIDES TRICHOCEPHALUS (Cope). 



Head 3i in total length ; eye 3^ in head ; interobital width li in eye. 

 D. 8; A. 7. Profile suddenly descending from prefrontal region to pre- 

 maxillary, arched from the former point backward; belly spinous to near 

 vent ; dorsal region from a little behind the nares to above the ends of 

 the pectoral fins spinous ; spines on the head long, close set, like seal 

 bristles ; caudal fin truncate, with prominent angles. Brownish above, 

 faintly vermiculated with lighter ; sides yellowish, becoming white below ; 

 fius uniform light yellow; a brown spot at base of pectoral. (Cope.) 

 Gulf Stream. Known only from Cope's description of a small specimen 4 

 inches long taken in the Gulf Stream off Newport. Possibly the young of 

 Spheroides jyachygaster. {9pi^, hniv; Ke^aA^, head.) 



* The coloration of Spheroides formosut is more striking than in testudineus or annu- 

 latus. Belly pure white ; back black, crossed with narrower light lines. The latter have 

 a transverse direction on head and nape, where they form 7 or 8 cross bars, and show a 

 more or less evident tendency to form concentric rings on back. Each nostril in a blacK 

 spot surrounded by a white ring. The light bars are much narrower and more numerous 

 than in testudineus, and are frequently connected by cross branches, thus divnliiig up 

 the dark backgi-ound into disconnected series of large black spots. Anal largely blackisn, 

 the other tins light, unmarked. 

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