27 



FAMILY TETRAODONTID.fi (Toad-Fishes) 



Sphseroides pleurostictus (Giinther) Banded Toado. 



Three examples of this pretty little toad-fish have been received 

 from Clarence River. A considerable variation in color is 

 apparent. All three possess four broad, dark, half bands on the 

 upper portion ; the first across the head between the eyes, the 

 second between the pectoral fins, the third at the base of the 

 dorsal fin, and the fourth over the caudal peduncle. In two of 

 the specimens the three posterior bands end on each side in 

 prominent round spots, as described by Giiiither,* and in one of 

 these examples there are additional smaller spots about the 

 middle of the back. In the third specimen there is a prominent 

 dark spot between the second and third bands, while the upper 

 half is profusely covered with somewhat similar though smaller 

 spots. 



Giinther's type was taken in the waters of Queensland. 



There appears to me little doubt that Castelnau's Tetrodon 

 bibroni^ from the entrance of Brisbane River, is identical with 

 this species. The only point of difference that is worthy of note 

 is that in Castelnau's description the width of the interorbital 

 space is given as being "equal to one-half the distance from the 

 end of the snout to the base of the dorsal," while in my specimens 

 it is uniformly about one- third. If it were as stated by Castelnau, 

 the head would have to be so wide, or the dorsal fin so far 

 forward, that it appears fairly certain that an error has crept in. 

 ####** 



Since the foregoing was written, and during the month of 

 April, 1907, while on a visit to some of the northern rivers of 

 New South Wales, I found this species to be exceedingly common 

 around the foreshores, in the estuaries of the Bellinger and 

 Nambucca Rivers, as well as at Camden Haven, where, I have 

 reason to believe, it is very destructive to young oysters. 



*Giinther: Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1871, p. 674. 

 t Castelnau: P.L.S., N.S.W., ii, 1877, p. 247. 



[Six plates.] 



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