TETRODON. TETRODON. 



Generic Character. 



Maxilla ossese, apice divisae. 



Corpus subtus muricatum. 

 PinncB ventrales null^e. 



Jaws bony, divided at the 

 tip. 



Bodi/ roughened beneath. 

 Ventral Jins wanting. 



HABE TETRODON. 



Tetrodon Lagocephalus, T. ahdomine spinis radiatis aculeato. 

 Tetrodon with the abdomen aculeated by radiated spines. 

 Tetrodon lagocephalus. T. ahdomine aculeato, corpore lavi, 



himeris prominentibus. Lin. Si/st. Nat. 

 Tetrodon aculeis Stellas in ventre efFormantibus. Block, t. 140. 

 Globe Diodon. Penn, Brit. Zool. 



Th E fishes of this genus, hke the Diodon s, have 

 the power of inflating their body at pleasure, by 

 means of an internal membrane for that purpose, 

 and during the time of inflation the small spines 

 dispersed over their sides and abdomen are raised 

 in sucli a manner as to operate as a defence against 

 their enemies : they are chiefly natives of the 

 tropical seas, though sometimes seen in the higher 

 northern and southern latitudes, and are supposed 

 to live principally on the crustaceous and testaceous 

 animals. 



The present species grows to the length of about 



