no.1764. '/'///•; VENOMOUS TOADFISHES— BEAN AND WEED. 525 



Genus THALASSOTHIA Berg. 



Thalassophryne Berg, An. Mas. La Plain, Zool., vol. I, 1893, ]>. (i, pi. 2. 

 Thalassothia Berg, An. Mus. Nac. Buenos Aires, vol. 4 (ser. 2, vol. I ), 1895, p. (i'i, 



,.1.1. 

 Thalassothia Ogilby, Ann. Queensland Mus., no. !), pt. 2, 1908, pp. 46 and 54. 



Dorsal spines four, the first two perforated for the passage of a 

 venom duct, as in Thalassophryne. 



Operculum developed as a strong spine which is hollow, like the 

 first dorsal spines. 



Teeth blunt conic. 



Gill membrane apparently much narrower than in Porichthys, much 

 as in Thalassophryne; not reaching much beyond the end of the 

 opercular spine. 



The first two anal rays are somewhat separated from the rest of 

 the fin. 



This genus differs from Tlialassophryne in the number of dorsal 

 spines; in the separation of the first anal rays from the rest of the 

 fin and probably in the rather heavier body. In the only known 

 species the dorsal and anal fins are shorter than in any known species 

 of Thalassoph ryne. 



Thalassothia differs from Porichthys in the dentition; in the number 

 of dorsal spines; in the armament of the operculum; in the width of 

 the gill membrane and in the stouter body. 



Type. — Thalassothia montevielensis Berg. 



THALASSOTHIA MONTEVIDENSIS Berg. 



Thalassophryne monlevidensis Berg, An. Mus. La Plata, Zool., vol. 1, 1893, p. G, 



pi. -1. 

 Thalassothia monlevidensis Berg, An. Mus. Nac. Buenos Aires, vol. 4 (ser. 2, 



vol. 1), p. (17, pi. I . 



Head 3. Depth apparently about equal to length of head. D. 

 II 11-16. A. 2, 14. V., I 2. P. 16. Body short and stout, some- 

 what compressed behind the origin of the dorsal. Head depressed, 

 wider than long. Eyes very small, apparently less than snout, which 

 is about half the interorbital space. Opercular spine short, shorter 

 than fust dorsal spines. 



It is impossible from the original description ("* * * hi 

 abertura de hi boca muy poco oblicuamente ascen<leiife, pero la parte 

 mentoniana algo prominente, redondeada e inferiormenti provista de 

 pequenos lobulos * * *," the aperture of the mouth little obliquely 

 ascending, but (he chin somewhat prominent, rounded, and provided 

 below with small lobules) to be sure whether the mouth is nearly 

 horizontal or nearly vertical, but from an examination of the illustra- 

 tratiou and from the fact that the eyes are said to be directed upward 

 and forward ("* * * hacia arriba y adelante; * * *") it seems 



