Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1725 



Mexico, at Pensacola and Galveston ; also ranging eastward to Guinea and 

 the Cape of Good Hope. It is rarely brought to the markets, but is said 

 to bo a good food-fish when baked in the shell, (ires, three; cornus, horn; 

 the name refers to the 2 frontal horns and to the supracaudal plate, 

 figured by Lister as an erect spine, the figure apparently based on a speci- 

 men with the plate torn loose at one end. ) 



Piscis triangularis capiti cornutus cui e media cauda cutanea aculeus longus erigitus, LISTER, 



in Willughby, Hist. Pise., Appendix, 19, 1686, locality not given. 

 Ostracion triangulatus aculeis duobus in capite et unico longioro superne ad caudaum, 



ARTEDI, Genera, 56, 1738; after LISTER in Willughby. 

 Ostracion triangulatus duobus aculeis in fronte et totidem in imo venire subcaudalesque 



binis, ARTEDI, Genera, 56, 1738; specimens seen in London at the house of Mr. Lillja 



and in the Nagg's Head Inn. 



Ostracion tricornis, LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 331, 1758; after ARTEDI. 

 Ostraciutn quadricornis, * LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 331, 1758; after ARTEDI; GUN- 



THER, Cat., vin, 257, 1870 ; GOODE, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1879, 278. 

 Ostracion listeri, LACKPKDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., 1, 468, 1798 ; after WILLUGHBY. 

 Ostracion sexcornutus, MITCHILL, Auier. Monthly Mag., n, 1818, 328, Mouth of Mississippi 



River. 



Ostracion maculatus, HOLLARD, Ann. Sci. Nat. 1857, 149. 

 Ostracion guineensis, BLEEKER, Ned. Tydskr. Dierk, n, 298, Guinea. 

 Ostracion gronovii, BLEEKER, Ned. Tydskr. Dierk, n, 298. 

 Acanthostracion polygonius, POEY, Enumeratio, 175, 1876, Cuba. 

 Ostraciutn quadricpme, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 854, 1883. 



* Concerning the nominal species of this type, Dr. Goode remarks: " I have never seen 

 more than one species of this type, and the synonymy at the head of this notice expresses 

 the views of the majority of ichthyologists M well as my own. It seems only fair, how- 

 ever, to quote the opinion of Dr. Bleeker. 'It appears to mo very evident,' wrote he, 

 'that there are at least 5 species of triangular (or rather pentagonal) Ostracions with 

 frontal and preanal spines. Of these this (O. quadricornis) is the one longest known, and 

 may be easily distinguished by the nearly vertical profile of the head as well as by the 

 strong spine which terminates the postero-superior dorsal plate. The other species 

 resembling quadricornisaw Oatracion notacanthus Bleeker, Ostracion tricornis L. (Ostra- 

 cion maculatus Hollard), Ostracion gronovii Bleeker, and Ostracion guineensis Bleeker, 

 but none of these exhibits the remarkable character of the postero-superior dorsal angle 

 developed into a spine. Ostracion notacanthus is characterized by the presence of a spine 

 upon the dorsal crest, by its oblique profile, and by the hexagonal or irregular black ring 

 with large yellowish center which is plainly visible upon each plate of the back and the 

 flanks; while Ostracion gronovii is easily recognized by the greater length of the frontal 

 and preanal spines, by the absence of the median dorsal spine, and by the very oblique 

 profile of the snout. Oatracion tricornis Linn., which appears to be identical with the 

 species described by Hollard as Ostracion maculatus, is marked by its nearly vertical 

 profile and by longitudinal brown bands upon the cheeks. Ostracion guineensis is marked 

 by the subvertical profile of Ostracion tricornis, but has cheeks without bands, and the 

 plate of the carapace ornamented with a central ocella of pearl color or blue.' The pres- 

 ence of plates upon the caudal peduncle is apparently accidental. They may possibly 

 have some relation to sex, but certainly none to age. Out of 14 specimens examined 5 

 had plates above and below, 1 had 2 above, and 6 had none. In none of the specimens can 

 I distinguish traces of the spine in the middle of the dorsal ridge mentioned by Dr. Giin- 

 ther. The color of young specimens is well described by Giinther; the bands on the 

 cheek are, however, of a bright blue. Adult specimens are colored in a rich bright blue 

 or green, lighter in the center of each hexagonal plate, giving the appearance of annular 

 markings, which quickly vanish after death. In some individuals the color is worn 

 from the ridges of the carapace, leaving patches of light brown. Bleeker claimed for his 

 species, Ostracion notacanthus, a peculiar system of coloration, but it is in nowise ditferent 

 from that of the ordinary type of Ostracion quadricornis. l The largest specimens are 21 

 inches long. " If Dr. Goode is right in referring all these forms to one species, it should 

 be called Lactophrjis tricornis. The only doubt seems to be in regard to Lactophrys nota- 

 canthus, which looks to us like a different fish. 



1 "Mais en outre le systemo de coloration de 1'espece que je crois nouvelle est tres 

 ditferent, chaque bouclier de la tote, du dos et des flancs 6tant orn6 d'un anneau violet ou 

 noiratre d'une forme hexagone, pentagone, quadrangulaire, ou meme ronde, et & centre 

 large orange ou rougeatre. On ne voit rien de pareil sur le corps du quadricornis. Puis 

 encore, la queue est brunatre et a taches jaunatres et les pectorales out un rayon de plus. 

 Je nomme cette espece nouvelle Ostracion notacanthus. " Memoire sur les Poissons de la 

 Cote de Guinee, par P. Bleeker, p. 21. 



