294 GYMNOUONTES. 



Tetraodon calaniaroides, Bkek. I. c. xxiv. p. 10, or Xat. Tyds. Ned. 



Iml. i. p. 96 (adult). 



uieleagi-is, Blvek. Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. v. p. 91 (not syuou.). 



Crayraciou mappa, Bleeh. Atl. IchfJt. Oi/nmod. p. 71!, pi. 0. tig. 3 



(adult). 

 meleagris, Blcek. I. c. fig-. 1 (young'). 



Nearly the entire body covered with minute spines, only the fore- 

 most part of the snout ;ind the posterior portion of the tail being 

 naked. Snout of moderate length, one-half the length of the head 

 (to the anterior margin of the gill-opening), and much more than 

 the width of the interorbital space, wliich is flat. Length of the 

 caudal fin equal to its distance from the front margin of the dorsal. 

 Brown above, whitish below. Upper half and caudal tiu with ver- 

 miculated and subreticulated dark lines, which almost disappear in 

 the dark coloration of the midtlle of the back. In young individuals 

 those lines are spread over the whole abdomen, forming a network, 

 the meshes of which are at least as wide as the orbit. Old indi- 

 viduals with a large, brown, irregular, subreticulated blotch below 

 the pectoral fin, more or less visible in young individuals. Vent in 

 a black spot ; the brown lines radiate from the eye. 



Indian Ocean and archipelago. 



a. Adult {12h inches) : stuffed. Zanzibar. From Lieut.-Col. Play- 



fair's Collection. 



b. Adult. East-Indian archipelago. From Dr. Blcekcr's Collection 



as T. calaniaroides. 



c. Five inches long. East-Indian archipelago. From Dr. Bleeker's 



Collection as C. meleagris. 



Dr. Bleeker has described this species under two names, con- 

 founding the younger state with the T. meleagris of Lacepede and 

 Richardson, which is a very distinct species. The figure which he 

 gives of his C. meleagris is defective in two very important points ; 

 viz., the radiating lines round the eye and the indication of the sub- 

 pectoral spot are omitted. These two characters are very distinct 

 in the example we received from him, and indicate at once the close 

 afiinity with T. maj>jx(. The structural identity of the two forms, 

 especially in the snout, is perfect, so that there cannot be any doubt 

 that the one is the younger state of the other. 



This species is also most closely allied to T. stcllatus (lineafus), to 

 which I have referred it in 'Fish. Zanz.' p. 131. Having now ex- 

 amined, many more examples than at that time, I am inclined to 

 regard it as distinct. 



39. Tetrodon steUatus. 

 a. Synonymy of old examples luifhotit lateral or abdominal 

 babuls or large S2)ofs. 



Ti'trodon etoile, Lacep. i. pp. 474, 483. 



niouclietc, Laccp. i. pp. 475, 491. 



Tetrodon Ligncephalus, var. steUatus, Bl. Schn. p. 503. 

 commersonii, Bl. Schn. p. SOS. 



