PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 261 



A STUOV OF the: TRUIVK-FIi^HES (OSTRACIOIVTID^), IVITH NOTES 

 UPOIV THE AMERICAN SPECIES OF THE FAMII,Y. 



By O. BROWN OOODE. 



The fishes of the order Plectognaihi have afforded a knotty problem 

 to writers on systematic ichthyology. Many genera have been estab- 

 lished, and, between them, the several species have been bnffeted to and 

 fro until their synonymy is tangled like a spider's web. The following 

 liistori«'al sketch of the progress of opinion in the classification of the 

 Ostracionts Avas drawn up as an aid in determining what generic names 

 should be used for the common West Indian forms. 



Artedi and Linniens were acquainted only with those which have the 

 carapace closed behind the anal fin, now included by Giinther in the 

 subgenus Ofitracion. The first of the other type, with carapace open 

 behind the anal fin, was described by Houttuyn in 1782,* and again by 

 Thunberg, under another name, eight years subsequently.f Schneider, 

 Shaw, Lacepede, and their contemi)oraries recognized only the old genus, 

 and it was not until 1838 that Dr. Gray separated certain species under 

 the name Aracana.^ 



Lacepede was tLe first to pioi)ose a division of the genus Ostracion, 

 though he did not advocate the use of names for his subgenera, nor 

 indeed propose any. His divisions were based upon the arrangement 

 of the spines on the carapace, as given below. He knew no representa- 

 tives of the Aracana type. 



FIRST SUBGENUS. 



Xo S2)iiies hefon; the eyes nor under the tail. 



1. L'OSTKACIOX TRIANGULAIRE ( ^ 0. triqmtcr). 



2. L'OSTRACION MAiLL^ (= 0. triqueter). 



3. L'OSTRACION POiNTiLLli (= 0. punctatiis). 



4. L'osTUACiON QUATRE-TUBERCULES (affiiiities unknown). 



O. L'OSTRACION MUSEAU-ALLONGIi; (=^ 0. CuMcus). 



6. L'OSTRACION DEUX-TUBERCULES (= 0. CuhiCUs). 



7. L'OSTRACION MOUCHETE (= CuMcus). 



8. L'OSTRACION BOSSU (= 0. limiOi). 



SECOND SUBGENUS. 

 Spines in front of the eyes but none under the tail. 



9. L'OSTRACION TROis-AiGUiLLONS (mythical?). 



*1782. Houttuyn, M. Beschiijviiig van Eeuige Jai)au8clie Visschen en andere 

 Zeesclicpselen. < Verhand. d. Holland. Maatsch. Wetenschappen, Haarlem, xx, 2, 

 1782, pp. 311-350. Ostrucion aeuleatus, p. 34G. 



tl790. Thunberg, C. P. Beskrifning pii tviiune fiskar infiiin Japan <. Veten- 

 skaps Acad.Nya. Hand), xi, 1790, p. 10(i +. Ostracion hcxagonus, p. 107. 



U838. Gray, J. E. < Ann. Nat. Hist. 1, p. 110. 



