FAMILY CANTHIGASTERIDAE — WOODS 121 



V-shaped stripes; ground color between, and above eyes darker; 

 cheeks and snout with obscure markings similar to sides but with 

 fewer lines and more spots ; ground color of ventral surface pale brown 

 or yellow with numerous indistinct spots disappearing anteriorly; 

 caudal peduncle with scattered round or oblong spots; caudal fin 

 with 6 dark vertical bars separated by 7 pale bars of same 

 width; dorsal fin with white bar on fin rays across and just above 

 base; other fins without color or pale. 



Remarks. — One specimen about 18 mm. long was taken from the 

 stomach of an Elagatis bipinnulatus, collected on July 23, 1947, by 

 J. C. Marr. This tiny specimen (USNM 140645) had been crushed, 

 somewhat distorted laterally, and its fins dissolved away so that a 

 positive identification is difficult. Carapace closed behind anal fin; 

 no evident preocular spines; pelvic spines present and 2 smaller 

 spines anterior to pelvic spine on pelvic ridge; no mid-ventral ridge; 

 left lateral ridge with one spine about the middle of body; a larger 

 spine present in the middle of the back, which may be a displaced 

 spine from right lateral ridge; ventral side of body much broader than 

 dorsal side. The genus that most nearly fits this description is 

 Lactoria, but because of the questionable position of the middorsal 

 spine and the lack of preocular spines, we can only tentatively assign 

 this specimen to that genus. 



Suborder Tetraodontina 

 Family CANTHIGASTERIDAE 



By LoREN P. Woods 



Genus CANTHIGASTER Swainson 



Canthigaster Swainson, Natural history and classification of fishes . . ., vol. 2, 

 p. 194, 1839 (type species, Tetraodon rostratus Bloch, pi. 146; name used on 

 p. 328 by Swainson is Psilonotus) . 



KEY TO SPECIES OF CANTHIGASTER FROM THE NORTHERN MARSHALL ISLANDS 



AND ADJOINING REGIONS 



la. Dorsal rays i,ll ; anal rays, i,10. 



2a. Top of snout crossed by 3 or 4 black saddlelike lines; eye with its posterior 

 radiating lines arcing dorsally but not joining with those of opposite 

 side; cheeks with parallel rows of small close-set black dots anteriorly 

 forming fines curving downwards toward throat; back and sides with 

 small round pale spots, each with a minute black dot in its center; 

 additional dark spots present on lower sides, especiafiy prominent 

 between base of pectoral fin and vent (these spots larger and more 

 intense in young) ; pectoral, dorsal, and anal fins black along base and 

 on tips of first (and sometimes second) rays, rest of fin white. 



C. amboinGnsis (Bleeker) 



748-328—65 9 



