Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1739 



Lir><J. OVOIDES ERETHIZON (Jordan & Gilbert). 



D. 9; A. 10. Entire body, except snout and caudal peduncle, thickly 

 beset with long, robust, qmll-like spines, which are longest and most 

 numerous on belly, these spines sometimes apparently wanting, being 

 buried in the skin. Snout short, cuboid; interorbital space wide, con- 

 cave, its width greater than length of snout, and nearly twice diameter 

 of eye; nasal tentacle bifid to the base, the inner surface of each division 

 thickly covered with minute, cup-shaped depressions, the openings of the 

 nostrils; length of tentacle % its distance from eye, or diameter of 

 eye. Color dark brown, everywhere above with round whitish spots, most 

 numerous on caudal peduncle, the largest ^ diameter of pupil; a dark 

 area around base of pectoral, bounded by a white line; several parallel 

 longitudinal black streaks below the pectorals. Size large; length about 

 a foot. Panama and neighboring islands, apparently rare, (ereiliizon, 

 the porcupine, from IpsfJiZa), to irritate.) 



Arothron erethizon, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 631, Panama (Type, 



No. 29679. Coll. Frank H. Bradley) ; JORDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1885, 393. ' 

 Tetraodon erethizon, JORDAN & EDWARDS, I. c., 244. 



2157. OVOIDES SETOSUS (Rosa Smith). 



Head 4 ; eye 4 in head ; snout 3 ; interorbital space moderate, nearly 

 flat, H tinies width of orbit; upper profile of snout abruptly concave at 

 tip. Body everywhere thickly beset with short, slender, stiff spines ex- 

 cept around mouth, vent, and bases of fins; spinules nearly uniform, some 

 rootless, others with 2 to 5 roots, about 70 in a row from eye to dorsal. 

 Nostrils each with a tentacle, bifid to the base, the lobes flattish and with- 

 out distinct opening. Caudal subtruucate, ^ longer than peduncle; dorsal 

 and anal rounded. Coloration extremely variable; the type specimen, as 

 described by Mrs. Eigenmuini, dark brown, everywhere with roundish 

 white spots, as large as pupil or larger; these spots larger below, coales- 

 cing on ventral surface, forming vermicular markings; spots on belly 

 broader than spaces of ground color, on back narrower; fins with similar 

 but smaller spots; no streaks or black marks anywhere; pectorals and 

 dorsal white-edged; anal with a pale marginal streak; most of those seen 

 in collections agree with this type. Our many specimens collected by the 

 Albatross at Clarion Island are, however, of various shades of color, rang- 

 ing from deep blue to lemon yellow, and with the spots equally variable; 

 some specimens are deep blue, unspotted, some yellow with dark niottlings 

 or blotches, some blackish with pale bluish or white spots, close set and 

 profuse; still others are black with the white in the form of vermicula- 

 tions and angular streaks. One specimen is pure yellowish white, with 

 a black bar across the pectoral only. The causes of these excessive varia- 

 tions are unknown. In all, the prickles are slender and very numerous. 

 West coast of Mexico, abundant about the Kevillagigedo Islands and on 

 rocky shores in the Gulf of California, dried specimens being often sold 

 at La Paz, and even in San Francisco. Length 14 inches. Very close to 

 the East Indian species Ovoides meleayris (Lacepede.) (setosus, bristly.) 



