Clarke.— 0?i Tioo Neiv Globe-fish. 245 



variation they form a valuable adjunct to other features apper- 

 taining to the group in adjusting a species in its systematic 

 regularity. 



Order PLECTOGN ATHI. 



Group TETRODONTINA. 



Family GYMNODONTES. 



Genus Tetrodon. 



Sub-genus Ceayracion. 



T. gillbanksii, sp. nov. 



I obtained my first view of this fish when fishing off the 

 wreck of the "Hawea," at Moturoa, Taranaki, in January, 

 1895, an unknown blue-spotted fish several times following the 

 bait to the surface without being hooked. On the 26th March 

 of the same year a fine specimen was washed up alive on 

 the beach at the same place, and was kindly sent me in 

 a bucket of salt-water by Mr. Gillbanks, then foreman of 

 works at the mole. This is the specimen now described, and 

 reported by me in the Taranaki Herald a day or two after- 

 wards. Since that time I have obtained another, but smaller, 

 specimen in perfect condition (this I forward to the Welling- 

 ton Museum), and have had a couple of "remains" brought 

 me, one of which, consisting of the partially-decomposed skin 

 only, must have been from a fish at least 14in. in length. 



Strange to say, all that have passed through my hands 

 have had a small punctured wound just before the root of the 

 pectoral fin and on the edge of the gill- opening, perhaps the 

 work of a small octopus. 



The whole body, with the exception of the little " pads " 

 (muscular) at the bases of the dorsal and anal fins, is uniformly 

 covered with spines, which are much longer and stouter on the 

 belly and lower portions of the sides. These spines are all 

 retractile into fossae, and are supplied with an oval bead-like 

 or bulbous appendage adherent to their external sides and 

 near the tips thereof. This bead-like appendage, when the 

 spines are fully exposed, is capable of being stretched or drawn 

 down, thereby fully uncovering the points, and, when the spines 

 are retracted into the fossae, forming a bead-like prominence 

 at the mouths thereof. They are much larger and pure 

 enamel-white on the lower sides and belly, but quite black on 

 the upper sides, the tail, and the back, where they become 

 smaller in regular order according to their distance from the 

 abdomen. When fully exposed all the spines show a black 

 skin surrounding their shafts. The spine in situ and exposed 

 is delineated in enlarged drawing (Plate XIV.). 



The mouth is rather smaller in proportion than such 



