59 



HI-' 



CHEILICHTHYS, Muell. 

 C testudineus. 



Painted Fnfier. 



Minute spines, Avliich very readily detacU themselves, rover 

 the back from the intcrorbital space to near the dorsal lin, 

 and the abdomen from the throat to the vent, the dorsal and 

 abdomen spiny patches being connected by a transverse' 

 stripe of spines behind the pectoral fin, the snout, sides and 

 tail being naked. Snout rather produced, the eye being 

 nearer to the root of the pectoral fin than to the end of the 

 snout. Distance of the nostril from the eye not much less 

 than the diameter of the latter. Interorbital space generally 

 concave ; the diameter of the eye is f of the width between 

 the bony orbital edges. The gill openings form a small 

 arch at base of the ventrals. Length of the caudal equal t > 

 its distance from the dorsel fin. Sides sometimes with small 

 tentacles. Brownish black above, with whitish lines, the 

 anterior of which are transverse, (on the head and nape) ; 

 one or two concentric circles in front of the dorsal fin. 

 Sides yellowish, with small rounded brown spots. Abdomen 

 and fins immaculate. The lines on the back are more regu- 

 lar in young than in old specimens, which sometimes have 

 the back and sides irregular marked and spotted with brown 

 or black. Length, 8 inches. 



Fin-rays :— D. 9 ; P. 15 ; V. ; A. 7 ; C. Sj. 



Tetrodon testudineus, Guenther VIII, p. 282; Linn. Amoen. 

 Acad. I p. 309, tab. 14, fig. 3 ; and Syst Nat. I p. 410. 



— geomeiricus , Bl. Schn. p. 508. 



Tetraodon ammocrypius Gosse, Nat. Soj. Jamaica, p. 287. 



— hajacu, Casteln, Anim. Am. Jnd., Poiss. p. 98, pi. 47- 

 fig. 3, (not good.) 



