350 



FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



Genus DIODON Linnaeus. Porcupine-fishes. 



These are the porcupine-fishes proper, the dermal spines being long, slender, 

 and capable of being erected like those of a porcupine. Form stout; caudal 

 peduncle rather long and slender; nasal tube simple, with 2 lateral openings; 

 pectorals short, very broad, upper lobe longer. Probably only 1 American 

 species, occurring on both coasts. (Diodon, double tooth.) 



302. DIODON HYSTRIX Linnaeus. 

 Porcupine-fish. 



Diodon hystrix Linnseus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 335, 1758. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1745, pi. cclxvi, fig. 648. 



Diagnosis. — Depth about .4 length; head contained 3 times in length; eye rather small, 

 about .16 length of head; lips thick; skin thickly beset with strong, sharp spines, longest on top 

 of head, back, and sides; the spines posterior to pectorals longest; spines on back anteriorly and 

 on peduncle 3-rooted and immovable, other spines 2-rooted and capable of being depressed and 

 elevated; dorsal rays 13 to 15, height Oi fin .5 length of head; anal rays 13 to 15; caudal short, 

 rounded; pectorals very broad, rather less than .5 length of head. Color: dusky above, white 

 below, entire body and fins marked by small round black spots, {hystrix, the porcupine.) 





Fig. 158. Porcupine-fish. Diodon hystrix. 



Although the porcupine-fish has been taken at various points on the east 



coast of the United States as far north as Massachusetts, it occurs only as a 



straggler north of Florida. The fish has doubtless been found from time to 



time by the coast fishermen of North Carolina, but the only specimen known 



from that state is one 2.5 inches long obtained at Beaufort in the summer of 1902 



and now in the fishery laboratory at that place. The species attains a length of 3 



feet. 



Genus CHILOMYCTERUS Bibron. Bur-fishes. 



Small marine fishes, with broad, slightly depressed body, covered with short, 

 firmly fixed, 3-rooted spines; short caudal peduncle; 2 nasal tentacles each with 

 2 lateral openings; small fins, as in Diodon; a few cirri variously placed on 

 head and body. About 6 American species, 2 represented in the local fauna: 



i. Back marked with parallel longitudinal black stripes; under parts pale (sometimes black in 



young) spinosus. 



it. Entire body marked with black stripes which form hexagonal reticulations, the stripes 

 broader on the under parts antillarurm. 



