FISHES OF NEW YORK 625 



each terminating in a fine, flexible, bristlelike spine; fins as in 

 D i o d o n , of which the species are possibly the very young. 



303 Trichodiodon pilosus (Mitchill) 

 Hwmj Pmxupine Fish 



Diodon pilosus Mitchill, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 471, pi. VI, fig. 



4, 1815; supposed to be from New Yorli Harbor; specimen ly^s inches 



long. 

 Trichodiodon pilosus Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 316, 1870; 



Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 862, 1883, name but 



probably not description which is from De Kay; Jordan & Ever- 



MANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1748, 1898. 



Mitchill's description as given by Jordan and Evermann is as 

 follows : " Hairy diodon (Diodon pilosus), with a cov- 

 ering of bristly hair. Length about 1^ inches ; breadth less than 

 ^ inch; depth nearly a quarter, making a blunt lump of a fish; 

 covered all over back, sides, head and belly with bristly 

 hair. The bristles strong and flexible, without the power to 

 scratch or to prick; hair about ^ inch in length. Complexion 

 dun or brown, with spots on the back, sides, and toward the 

 belly; has, at first glimpse, the appearance of a young mouse. 

 Mouth small, midway, and horizontal. Eyes vertical, lateral, 

 and large. No ventral fins. Pectorals broad. Dorsal and anal 

 very far back, and no hair between them and the tail. This is 

 but a small projection from the thick and clumsy body, and is 

 terminated by a fin of seven rays. Dorsal, anal, and pectoral 

 fins contain each about 13 rays." 



Gunther (Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., VIII, 316, 1870) describes a 

 young example, ^ inch long, and by some authors supposed to 

 be of the same species as Mitchill's hairy diodon, as follows: 

 " Trichooyclus. Jaws without median suture. Body covered 

 with long, hairlike bristles. No nasal tentacle. (Dorsal and 

 anal fins absent ?). 1. T r 1 c h o c y c 1 u s e r i n a c e u s . 



Owing to the indifferent preservation of the specimen, I can 

 give but an incomplete description of it. It is J inch long, and 

 the longest hairs (which are those on the sides) about | inch. 

 The entire body, except the snout, is covered with such hairs. 

 The jnws are prominent, depressed; and the upper terminates 



