FAMILY TETRAODONTIDAE — WOODS AND SCHULTZ 131 



Description. — Dorsal rays i,9 to 11; anal i,9 or 10; pectoral raj^s 

 i,15 to 17, branched caudal rays 4 + 4; gill rakers in three rows, 4 to 6 

 rakers per row, total 14 to 18, inner row rakers largest, small tubercles 

 in between rakers not counted. 



Length of head 2.0 to 3.0; length of middle caudal rays 2.7 to 3.6; 

 both in standard length. Snout 2.0 to 2.3; diameter of eye 4.1 to 4.5 ; 

 least depth of caudal peduncle 2.7 to 3.4; length of pectoral fin 2.5 to 

 2.9; height of dorsal fin 1.7 to 2.1; height of anal fin 1.8 to 2.4; post- 

 orbital part of head 2.5 to 3.0; interorbital width 2.6 to 3.1; all in 

 length of head. Angle of snout profile with axis of body 26 to 29 

 degrees, snout slightly convex in region of nostrils, slightly concave 

 just behind teeth. 



Back smoothly rounded; dermal spines most prominent on breast 

 or belly, sometimes in small patches about the size of eye, small 

 spines evident, though imbedded, in skin of back and nape; interorbital 

 concave; nasal tentacle forked, sensory pits present on opposing sides; 

 anal fin originates under or slightly posterior to insertion of last 

 dorsal ray; distal margins of fins rounded. 



Color in alcohol — Ground color of head and back rich reddish 

 brown to pale gre3dsh brown with darker brown blotches; round white 

 spots about size of pupil everyw^here on head and back, white spots 

 smaller on caudal peduncle and caudal fin, larger on lower sides near 

 belly and on throat, on lower sides near breast white spots elongate; 

 under parts white with many lengthwise narrow dark brown lines; 

 lips pale; eye with 2 or 3 broken concentric light lines; gill opening 

 and pectoral fin sometimes encircled by 2 to 5 alternating light and 

 dark rings; base of pectoral fin near gill opening white, then dark with 

 light round spots in front of articulations of rays, rest of fin pale; 

 dorsal fin brown at base with white spots, distal three-fourths pale; 

 caudal fin brown with small white dots over basal two-thirds, distal 

 third plain dusky. 



AROTHRON IMMACULATUS (Bloch and Schneider) 



Tetrodon immaculatus Bloch and Schneider, Sj'stema ichthyologiae . . ., p. 507, 

 1801 (based on T. sans-tache of Lacepede, vol. 1, p. 48G, pi. 24, fig. 1, 1798; 

 type locality, not given). 



SPECIMEN STUDIED 



Guam: Ylig Bay, July 24, 1945, M. H. Markley, 1 specimen, 106 mm. 



Description.^'^— DoTsal fin ra3^s ii,8; i,8 or i,9; anal i,8; ii,S; or i,9; 

 pectoral rays ii,15 or 16; branched caudal rays 4+4; gill rakers in 

 one or two rows 7 to 14, median rakers larger than outer, outer row 

 sometimes irregular or absent. 



3(1 Numerous specimens from the Philippine Islands of both the striped form A. manillensis (Proefi) and 

 A. immaculatus (Bloch and Schneider) were examined. The ranges of counts and proportions given here 

 are from USNM 51985 (100 and 120 mm.), plain colored, USNM 142841, with a striped pattern, and USNM 

 124014, the last one from Guam. 



