72 FISHES OF NEW ZEALAND. 



front of the orbits, pointing forward and slightly upward, and very 

 slightly divergent ; a large oblique triangular compressed spine in the 

 middle of the back ; no spine on the lateral dorsal ridge ; ventral ridge 

 terminating behind in a strong straight spine pointing backward and 

 slightly outward ; interorbital space deeply concave ; breadth of the 

 upper pai-t of the carapace is to the lower as one to one and three- 

 quarters. 



Brown, with irregular metallic slate blue spots and sti'eaks. 



Two dried specimens are in the Colonial Museum — one from Dunedin 

 Harbour, presented by Mrs. Balfour, the other from Wellington Har- 

 bour, presented by Mr. Masters. They are about 3J inches in length. 



Indian Ocean and Archipelago. 



GYMNODONTES. 



Body more or less shortened ; the bones of the upper and lower jaw 

 confluent, forming a beak with a trenchant edge, without teeth, with or 

 without a median suture ; a soft dorsal and anal near the caudal ; no 

 spinous doi'sal ; pectorals, no ventrals. 



Tetrodon. 



Both jaws divided by a median suture ; body with or without small 

 dermal ossifications ; dorsal and anal fins short ; abdomen dilatable into 

 a large sac. 



Tropical and subtropical seas ; some species in rivei's. 



116. TETRODON RICHEI. Freminv. CM. 



Globe Fish. 

 T. haviiltoni, Cat. Col. Mus. T. richei, Giinth., YIII., 285. 



Body from the lips densely covered with minute spines ; caudal 

 peduncle, smooth ; snout obtuse, rather shorter than the interorbital 

 space, which is convex ; eye about half way between snout and gill 

 opening ; nasal cavity large. 



Above light brown, with large rounded spots of black ; top of the 

 head more or less transversely banded with black ; below whitish ; fins 

 yellowish white ; the upper basal corner of the caudal, and the base of 

 the pectorals, blackish. 



Two dried specimens are in the Colonial Museum, from Dunedin 

 Harboui-, presented by INIi-s. Balfour. 



South Australia. 



