2314 Bulletin 4.7, United States National Museum. 



858. BATRACHOIDES, Lace~pi>de. 



Batrachoides, LACEPEDE, Hist. Xat. Poiss., in, 306, 1798 ("fern," Lacepede*=*ttmia7nmm). 

 Batrachus (KLEIN), BLOCK & SCHNEIDER Syst. Ichth., 42, 1801 ("tau," didactylus, suri- 



namensis, etc. ; substitute for Batrachoides). 

 Batrictius, RAFINESQUE, Anal. Nat. 1815, 82 (substitute for Batrachoides) . 



Body robust, formed as in Opsanus. Dorsal spines 3 ; opercle developed 

 as 2 strong diverging spines; subopercle strongly developed; branches of 

 subopercular spine subequal and diverging; body covered with small 

 ctenoid scales; frontal region broad, flat, and slightly depressed, its 

 median ridge rather prominent. Mucous pores of sides not greatly devel- 

 oped. No poison glands. Shore fishes of warm regions, (fidrpaxos, 

 frog; sidog, resemblance.) 



a. Teeth small, about 14 on the vomer; anterior teeth of lower jaw in a band; lateral 

 teeth of palatine enlarged and canine-like; irregularly arranged. 



SURINAMENSIS, 2649. 



aa. Teeth larger, about 8 on vomer; anterior teeth of lower jaw in 2 rows; 3 teeth on 

 middle of palatines enlarged and canine-like, the middle one the smallest. 



PACIFICI, 2650. 



2649. BATRACHOIDES SURINAMENSIS (Bloch & Schneider). 



(SAPO.) 



Head 3i in length of body; depth 6. D. 111-29; A. 26. Teeth small, 

 about 14 on vomer; anterior teeth on lower jaw in a band; lateral teeth 

 on palatines enlarged and canine-like, irregularly arranged; pectoral 

 without pores on its inner surface. Color grayish, darker on sides and 

 head; base of soft dorsal pale, with a dark, irregular line above; upper 

 part of fin lighter ; caudal nearly black ; anal fin light with some dark 

 markings. Coasts of Guiana and Brazil; not rare on sandy shores; our 

 specimen from Curasao. 



Batrachoides tau, LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., 306, pi. 12, fig. 1, 1798; not Gadus tau, 



Batrachus surinamensis, BLOCH <fc SCHNEIDER, Syst. Ichth., 43, 1801, Surinam; from a 

 specimen in the Museum of Vaillant in Paris; GUNTHER, Cat., in, 173, 1861; MEEK & 

 HALL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1885, 61. 



2650. BATRACHOIDES PACIFICI (Gunther). 



Head 3 in length ; depth about 6. D. 111-26 ; A. 22. Teeth rather large, 

 about 8 on vomer; anterior teeth on lower jaw in 2 rows; lateral teeth 

 on lower jaw gradually increasing to middle of jaw, behind which they 

 become abruptly smaller and then gradually increase to end of jaw; 3 

 teeth on middle of palatines enlarged and canine-like, the middle one the 

 smallest; pectoral with a row of pores on inner surface. Color olivaceous 

 brown; some indistinct dark cross bands on body; dorsal with about 7 

 very irregular oblique dark bars, anal with about 5 ; pectorals and caudal 



* "II est revetu d'6cailles molles, petites, minces, rondes, brunes, bordees de blanc, et 

 arrosees par line mucosite tres abondante, comme celles de la lote et de la mustelle." 

 (Lacepede.) Lacepede's specimen was therefore one of the scaly species, not an Opsanus. 

 No species of the latter group seems to have been known to Lacepede or to Schneider. 



