475 



Aracana aurita, Shaw. 



Station 2, 22 fathoms, and Station 5, 85 fathoms. 



Aracana spilogaster, Richardson, var. angusta, n. var. 

 Station 3, 80-140 fathoms. 



Family TETRAODONTIUAE. 

 TETRAODON, Linnaeus, 1758. 

 Tetraodon armilla, n. sp. 



PI. XV. 



D. 11-12; A. 9-11; y. 21; C. 9-f2. 



Head, measured from the upper lip to the gill-opening,.. 

 2'6-2'9 in the lengtlj without the caudal fin. Snout, from 

 the upper lip to the eye, r6-r7 in the head. Eye 2'4-3'5 in 

 the snout and 4'2-5"6 in the head. Longest dorsal rays, 

 2*7-2*9, anal 3-3*2, and caudal fin 1*2-1*4 in the head. 



Head. — Snout subcorneal, without any chin. Nostrils 

 absent, represented by a small simple tentacle on each side. 

 Eye much nearer the gill-opening than the mouth and close to 

 the upper profile of the head. The anterior angle of the orbit 

 projecting slightly above the general contour; upper and 

 lower eyelids adnate to the ocular membrane. Margin of the 

 gill-opening without lobules. The inner flap usually concealed. 



Bod If. — The skin of the back is usually smooth, some- 

 times slightly plicate like that of the abdomen. It is closely 

 beset with minute spinules, which extend from the middle of 

 the snout backward to the caudal peduncle on the upper- - 

 surface and sides, and cover the whole abdominal surface 

 beloM^ ; these spinules cannot always be traced in formalin 

 specimens, being hidden in the skin, but they are quite 

 distinct in examples preserved in alcohol. No fold along the 

 lower portion of the sides. 



Fins. — Dorsal and anal fins rounded, and variable in 

 size; they are generally short and narrow as figured, but may 

 be longer and broader. Pectorals more or less bilobed, the 

 median rays being shorter than those above or below them. 

 Caudal fin much larger in the young than in adults, its margin 

 more or less rounded. 



Colour. — Upper-surface of snout, back, and tail grey 

 or brown, this colour descending on to the lighter sides 

 behind the pectoral fins. A broad, oblique, dark band from 

 the eye to the lower-surface of the snout, leaving the lips 

 white. A large black curved band encircles the gill-opening 

 and pectoral fi.n, the enclosed area being darker than the 

 surrounding parts. Lower portion of the caudal fin blackish, 

 the remaining fins without markings. These markings vary in 

 their intensity, and are much more distinct in small examples^ 

 than in larger ones. 



