424 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Capriseus murium dentibus minutis Klein, Ichth. Missus, III, 25, 1742, pi. hi, fig. 9, very bad, no locality. 
Batistes monoceros Osbeck, Iter Chinensis, 144, 1751, China; Linnteus, Syst. Nat.., 10th ed., I, 327, 1758 (after Osbeck). 
Balistes oblongiusculus, etc., Gronovv, Zoophyl., 1763, 52. Indian seas. 
'ILija barbuda Parra, Dif. Piezas Hist. Nat., 48, pi. xxn, fig, 2, 1787, Habana. 
Balistes klcinii Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1472, 1788, Indian seas (after Gronow and Klein). 
Batistes barbatus Walbaum, Artedi Piscium, III, 464, 1792 (after Klein). 
Batistes monoceros var. unicolor Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 463, 1801 (after Gmelin). 
Balistes serraticornis Fr6minville, Nonv. Bull. Sc. Soc. Philom., No. 67, 1813, 249,. pi. iv, fig. 1. 
Aluteres berardi Lesson, Voyage Coquille, Zool.. 108, pi. vii, 1828; New Guinea. 
Alutera cinerea Schlegel, Fauna Japon., Poiss., p. 292, pi. cxxxi, fig. 1, 1850, Nagasaki, 
Alutarius obliteratus Cantor, Malayan Fishes, 353, 1850, Pinang. 
Alutarius amphacanthus Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen., Balist., XXIV, 1852, 23, pi. n, fig. 5, East Indies. 
Alutarius macracanthus Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen., Balist., XXIV, 1852, 22, pi. m, fig. 7, East Indies. 
Batistes linguatula Gronotv, Cat., Ed. Gray, 35, 1854, Indian seas; after Balistes oblongiusculus , etc., of Gronow. 
Alutcrus anginosus Hollard, Ann. Sci. Nat., IV, 1855, 11, East Indies. 
Balistes unicornus Basilewsky, Nouv. Mi5m. Soc. Nat, Moscou, X, 1855, 263, North China. 
? Alutera guntheriana Poey, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1863, 184, Habana. 
Monocanthus monoceros, Gunther, Cat., VIII, 251, 1870 (Zanzibar, Pinang, Amboyna, China, Japan); Nystrom, Bihang. Svensk. 
Vet. Handl., Band 13, pt, IV, No. 4, 1887, 47 (Nagasaki). 
Alutera monoceros, Jordan & Evermann, Fish. North and Mid. Amer., II, 1720,1898; Smith Bull. U. S Fish Comm. 1898, 273, 
pi. 64 (Woods Hole, Mass.). 
Suborder GYMNODONTES. 
Plectognaths without a spinous dorsal, with the body short and with the belly inflatable; the 
scales typically spiniform, with root-like insertions, and with the jaws enveloped in an enamel-like 
covering, without distinct teeth. This group contains degraded Plectognaths, which have lost the 
scales, spinous dorsal, and distinct teeth. In the extreme forms the pelvis, ribs, and caudal vertebrae 
are also lost, the species depending on their dermal armature, leathery skin, or inflatable belly for 
protection from enemies, while little power of active movement remains. 
a. Caudal region normally developed, with a caudal peduncle. 
b. Upper and lower jaw each divided by a median suture: maxillaries and dentaries each curved outward behind the 
premaxillaries. 
c. Back broadly rounded; frontal bones articulated with the supraoccipital; head broad; nostrils various. 
Tetraodontidx, p. 424 
cc. Back more or less sharply ridged; frontal bones separated from the supraoccipital by the postfrontals which meet 
in the middle; nostrils obsolete or very small Canthigasteridx, p. 430 
bb. Upper and lower jaw each undivided, the premaxillary and dentary bones coossified into sutureless arches; maxil- 
laries extended laterally behind; body covered with stout rooted spines Diodontidx, p. 435 
aa. Caudal region of body aborted, the body truncated behind the dorsal and anal; jaws each without median suture. 
MolidM p. 439 
Family LXXV1II. TETRA0D0NTID4E.— The Puffers. 
Body oblong or elongate, usually little compressed, sometimes very broad; head and snout broad; 
belly capable of great inflation; skin scaleless, usually more or less prickly, the spines or prickles 
usually weak and movable, not rooted; rarely the skin is armed with bony scutes forming a sort of 
carapace; each jaw confluent, forming a sort of beak, which in each jaw is divided by a median suture; 
maxillaries curved outward behind the premaxillaries; lips full; nostrils various. Spinous dorsal and 
ventral fins wanting, the fins composed of soft rays only; dorsal fin posterior, opposite and similar to 
anal; caudal fin distinct; no ventral fins, the pelvic bone undeveloped; no ribs; pectoral fins short and 
broad, the upper rays longest; caudal fin and caudal vertebrae normally developed; medifrontals 
articulated with the supraoccipital, the postfrontals confined to the sides, the ethmoid more or less 
projecting in front of f rentals; post frontals extending outward as far as frontals; proethmoid short 
and narrow, little prominent to the view above; vertebrae few, 7 or 8 + 9 to 13; gill-openings small, 
placed close in front of pectorals; air-bladder present. Fishes of sluggish habits, inhabiting warm 
seas, noted for their habit of filling the belly with air. When disturbed they float on the surface, 
belly upward. They are not much used as food, even in Hawaii, the flesh being ill-flavored and 
sometimes reputed poisonous. 
a. Dorsal and anal fins each comparatively long, falcate; caudal lunate; nostrils sessile or nearly so; a ridge along lower 
part of side Lagocephalus, p. 425 
aa. Dorsal and anal fins each comparatively short, rounded; caudal rounded; nostrils at the summit of a hollow, simple 
papilla. 
b. Nostril on each side with 2 distinct openings, usually in a low tube or papilla 
bb. Nostril on each side with a bifid tentacle without distinct opening 
Spheroides, p. 426 
. Tetraodon, p. 426 
