348 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
KEY TO THE SPECIES 
a. Head rather broad; interorbital 2.2 to 2.85 in head; no white lines or reticulations on back and 
sides; a lateral series of vertically elongate dark spots maculalus, p. 348 
aa. Head narrower; interorbital 4.6 to 8 in head; back and sides with white lines, forming reticu- 
lations; no definite series of lateral black spots testudineus, p. 349 
196. Tetraodon maculatus Bloch and Schneider. Puffer; Swellfish; Swell toad; Balloonfish. 
Tetrodon hispidus var. maculatus Bloch and Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 1801, p. 504; Long Island, N. Y. 
Chilichthys turgidus Uhler and Lugger, 1876, ed. I, p. 88; ed. II, p. 73. 
Tetrodon turgidus Bean, 1891, p. 84. 
Spheroides maculatus Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 1733, PI. CCLXIV, Sg. 645; Evennann and Hildebrand, 1910, 
p. 162. 
Head 2.05 to 2.85; depth about 2 to 3; D. 8; A. 7. Body robust, about as broad as deep; 
head long; snout conical, 1.7 to 2 in head; eye small, 3.6 to 7.75; interorbital space 2.2 to 2.85; 
mouth small, terminal; teeth in plates, with a median suture, more or less beaklike; lateral line 
very feebly developed; no evident fold along lower edge of side; skin everywhere prickly, except 
on caudal peduncle; dorsal and anal fins similar, the dorsal somewhat in advance of anal; caudal 
fin with round margin; pectoral fins rather short and broad, 1.95 to 2.35 in head. 
Fig. 209. — Tetraodon maculatus 
Color in alcohol grayish to dark brown above; plain white underneath; most of the lighter 
colored specimens with spots darker than the ground color on the back; sides with a series of seven 
or eight vertically elongated dark spots from base of pectoral to base of caudal; frequently with 
one or two similar spots in advance of pectoral; many specimens with dark dots on side of head, 
these frequently extending back on side of body; fins all plain translucent. Color notes, taken 
in the field, of a living specimen 5 inches long, brownish above, with small green and black spots;-, 
white below; seven or eight irregular black bars along sides posterior to pectoral, and a black spot 
in front of pectoral; a dark brownish area at base of dorsal and another between dorsal and caudal; 
dorsal and anal plain; caudal yellow brown; pectoral pale yellowish brown. 
Many specimens of this species, ranging in length from 25 to 260 millimeters (1 to 10 34 inches) 
were preserved. The young do not differ greatly from the adults. This puffer differs conspicuously 
from its relative, T. testudineus, in the absence of reticulating light lines on the back and sides and 
in the presence of a series of vertically elongate dark spots on the sides. 
The food, according to 22 specimens examined, consists principally of small crustaceans* 
including crabs, shrimp, isopods, and amphipods. A few small mollusks, annelids, and traces of 
algae also were present. Examinations for food made by Linton (1905, p. 402) at Beaufort, N. C. * 
and Welsh and Breder (1922, p. 273) at Atlantic City, N. J., indicate that although other inverte- 
brates enter into the food, small crustaceans predominate. 
Ripe or nearly ripe fish were taken in Chesapeake Bay during May. Ripe males as small as. 
140 millimeters (5 Y A inches) were taken May 17 at Crisfield. Eggs apparently are produced in 
very large numbers. It is estimated that the ovaries of one specimen 265 millimeters (10)^ inches) 
