Tatraodontidae. Ttve Puffers 



Two members of ttiis family are known from the. West Indies hut only- 

 one species was found during the. study. Food habits are varied with, 

 plant material Included among a wide assortment of Invert eh rates. 



Sphaeroldes spenglerl CBloch.) . Bandtall Puffer 



Only juveniles of this species were encountered, all on the densely 



vegetated algal plain and sea grass beds . They were often observed 



picking at the tufts of fine filamentous epiphytic algae growing 



on Syrlngodlijm . Thirty-one specimens were examined by Randall (1967) 



and were found to contain 3.5% algae and detritus, and 5.3% of the 



sea grasses , Ralophlla and Thalassla , and Indicated that plant material 



did not exceed 25% in any single specimen, the usual amount less than 



5%. 



Canthlgasterldae. The Sharpnose Puffers 



SKarpnose puffers, often included with the Tetraodontidae, are 

 represented by a single but common species In the West Indies. 



Canthlgaster rostrata (Bloch) . Skarpnose Puffer 



Individuals 5 to 6 m long were occasionally seen by day In reef areas 

 and associated with Isolated rock and coral heads on the algal plain. 

 Smaller Individuals were observed among plants on the plain. None 

 were seen at night. Randall (1967) examined the stomach contents of 

 31 specimens and found 2.2% to consist of organic detritus and two 

 species of algae , Eucheimia and Laurencla . Four fishes examined 

 by Randall (from Puerto Rico) contained 78% Syrlngodlum , and 20% of 

 contents of three other fishes consisted of the sea grass, Halophlla . 

 Indo-Paclflc specimens of the related C^. solandrl were reported by 

 Hlatt and Strasburg (1960) to contain 81% algae. 



Dlodontldae. Porcuplneflshes 



Only one of the four species of this family recorded for the West 

 Indies was encountered during this study. Most feed exclusively 

 upon Invertebrates. 



VI-159 



