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WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW TO CATCH FISH 



variously prickly, sometimes smooth, usually a patch of minute spines 

 from occiput halfway to dorsal fin ; belly spinous to near the vent ; skin 

 of head, tail, and most of the skin of the sides smooth ; sides usually 

 with small dermal cirri, especially in the young, these not very con- 

 spicuous. Young examples have the back and belly covered with 

 rather large, not close set, stellate prickles as described in the origi- 

 nal account of Tetrodon nephelus. Of the larger individuals, some 

 have prickles only on the back, others on the belly only ; 1 or 2 only 

 on a small area behind the eyes near the median line, while the 

 majority of the largest are entirely smooth. There is no doubt that 

 these all belong to one species. The loss of the prickles is probably 

 to some extent dependent on age. Adult olive brown, with numer- 

 ous small light-bluish or greenish spots everywhere, many of them 

 forming ocelli around darker spots of the ground color ; numerous 

 scattered black spots as large as the pupil, one in axil below most 

 distinct ; some obscure dark spots along sides of belly, this region 

 being flesh color, with pale rivulations ; pectorals yellowish ; caudal 

 pale, usually with 2 dusky shades. Young, gray and olive above, 

 much mottled with blackish ; back with numerous irregular blue 

 spots ; iris coppery, the pupil green ; belly white, grayish brown 

 along the sides ; 12 round blackish spots along the boundary between 

 sides and belly ; a whitish bar at base of caudal ; caudal with 2 bars 

 of blackish olive and 1 of white ; other fins plain ; back and sides 

 with whitish cirri." 





Illustration. Pafje. 



Swell Toad; 150. "SPHEROIDES MACULATUS." 645 1733 



Puffer ; 



Blower. 



