THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO. 
265 
stripes on cheek; tail above with blue, brown-edged spots; dorsal olive, its base blackish; caudal olive, 
edged and mottled with light blue; anal similar; pectoral olive. 
Found in the tropical Atlantic; very common from the Carolinas to Brazil. Recorded from several 
Florida localities and common in Jamaica and Porto Rico, specimens being at hand from Puerto Real, 
Ensenada del Boqueron, Ponce, Arroyo, and Isabel Segunda. The four species of trunk-fishes found 
in our waters have the same general habits. They are all slow and sluggish, and are found on sandy 
bottom where there are open or naked areas surrounded by patches of alg;e. They seem peculiarly 
susceptible to cold, and on the Florida coast large numbers are frequently washed up on the shore 
that have apparently been killed by a sudden fall in the temperature. 
Piscis triangularis capiti cornutus cui e media cauda cutanea aculeus long us erigilus, Lister, in Willughby, Hist. Pise., 
Appendix, 19, 1686; locality not given. 
Ostradon triangulalus aculeis dudbns in capite et unico longiore supeme ad caudam, Artedi, Genera, part. 3, 56, 1738; after 
Lister in Willughby. 
Ostradon triangulalus duobus aculeis in fronte et totidem in into ventre , Artedi, Genera, part 3, 56, 1738; specimens seen 
in London at the house of Mr. Lillja and in the Naggs Head Inn. 
Ostradon tricornis Linnseus, Syst. Nat., ed. X, 331, 1758; after Artedi. 
Ostraciuin quadricornis Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. X, 331, 1758; after Artedi. 
Ostradon listeri LacCpede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., I, 468, 1798; after Willughby. 
Ostradon sexcornutus, Mitchill, Anier. Monthly Mag., II, 1818, 328, month of Mississippi River. 
Ostradon maculatus Hollard, Ann. Sci. Nat. 1857, 149. 
Ostradon guineensis Bleeker, Ned. Tydskr. Dierk, II, 298, Guinea. 
Ostradon gronovii Bleeker, Ned. Tydskr. Dierk, II, 298. 
Acanlhostradon polygonius Poey, Enumeratto, 175, 1876, Cuba. 
Acanthostracion quadricornc, Stahl, 1 . c. , 167, 1883. 
Lactophrys tricornis, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1724, 1898. 
Family FIX. TETRAODONTIDtE. 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, spines or prickles usually 
weak and movable, not rooted; in one genus ( Eplvippion ) the skin is armed with bony scutes forming a 
sort of carapace, approaching that seen in Ostradon; teeth confluent., forming a sort of beak which in 
each jaw is divided by a median suture; maxillaries curved outward behind premaxillaries; lips full; 
nostrils various. Spinous dorsal and ventral fins wanting, fins composed of soft rays only; dorsal fin 
posterior, opposite and similar to anal; caudal fin distinct ; no ventral fins, pelvic bone undeveloped; no 
ribs; pectoral fins short and broad, upper rays longest; caudal fin and its vertebrae normally developed. 
Medifrontals articulated with supraoccipital, postfrontals confined to sides, ethmoid more or less pro- 
jecting in front of frontals; postfrontals extending outward as far as frontals; prosethmoid short and 
narrow, little prominent to view above; vertebrae few, 7 or 8 -|- 9 to 13. Gill-openings small, placed 
close in front, of pectorals; air-bladder present. 
There are about 10 genera and 60 species of this family inhabiting warm seas and found on soft 
or sandy bottom where there is some vegetation. They are sluggish in movement and noted for their 
habit of filling the stomach with air. When disturbed they then float on the surface, belly upward. 
Not used as food, the flesh being ill-flavored and reputed poisonous. None of them over 12 or 15 
inches in length. 
