THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO. 
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Ostracion cathetoplateo oblongus, Artedi, Genera Piscium, genus 58, species 33, 1738; after nrbis lagorephalus, Grew, etc. 
Tetrodon Itvvigalus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. XII, 111. 1766, Charleston, S. C.; Poey, Fauna Puerto-Riquena, 366, 1831; 
Stahl, 1. c., 81 and 1(57, 1883. 
Tetrodon curvus Mitchill, Trans. Lit. and Philos. Soc., 1, 1815, 474, New York; young. 
Tetrodon mathematicus Mitchill, Trans. Lit. and Philos. Soc., I, 1815, 474, New York. 
Tetrodon pachyeephalus, Ranzani, Nov. Comm. Ac. Sci. Inst. Bonon., IV, 73, pi, 11, fig. 2, 1840, Brazil. 
Holacanthus melanothus Gronow, Syst. Nat., ed. Gray, '24, 1854, Carolina; based on Tetrodon Ixvigatm of Linnaeus. 
Tetrodon lineolatus Poey, Synopsis, 432, 1808, Cuba; young. 
Lagocephalus Ixuigatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1728, 1898. 
Genus 124. SPHEROIDES Lacepede. Swell-fishes. 
Body oblong, not elongate; skin variously prickly or smooth, sometimes with cirri. A single, 
short, simple nasal tube on each side, with 2 rather large openings near its tip. Dorsal and anal fins 
short, little falcate, of (3 to 8 rays each; caudal truncate or rounded, rarely slightly concave. Vertebrae 
8+10=18. Frontal bones expanded sidewise and forming lateral roof of orbit, pi >stf rentals limited 
to posterior portions. 
Species numerous, in warm seas; largely American. Our species represent two well-marked 
subgenera, the extremes of which appear very different from each other so far as the skulls are 
concerned. Some typical species of Spheroides approach Canthigaster in narrowness of frontal area. 
SPHEROIDES: 
a. Skull very narrow above, interorbital area more or less concave, 2.5 to 6.5 times in length of long snout, 5 to 12 times 
in head; sides of body usually with small dermal flaps. 
b. Interorbital space flat or moderately concave: no dorsal flaps; back without curved cross-streaks; upper ray of caudal 
produced. 
c. Sides of head and body always smooth except sometimes a strip behind pectoral; spines larger, higher, more stellate, 
wider apart than in Spheroides maculatus, irregularly placed and often wholly wanting; side usually with small 
dermal slips or flaps, especially in the young. 
d. Lower part of side with a series of about 12 round black spots; caudal fin barred with black and white., spongier i, 224 
dd. Lower part of side with a series of black blotches appearing as short vertical bars (never round); caudal fin not 
barred nephelus 
cc. Sides of head and body always prickly, as is back from upper lip to base of dorsal; belly prickly, prickles all similar, 
small, 3-rooted, stiff and close-set, never obsolete; no cirri; back with dark spots; black blotches on sides forming 
short oblique crossbars, those behind pectoral most conspicuous; caudal nearly plain, darker at tip. 
e. Color dark-brown, with black blotches; a series of about a dozen irregular black spots along under side. . maculatus 
ee. Color dark, olivaceous above; black blotches on lower part of sides in form of short, oblique crossbars. . m annoratus, 225 
Cheiltchthys: 
an. Skull very broad above, interorbital space broad, flattish, or very little concave, its width more than half snout 
and 2.66 to 4 in head; sides without series of dark blotches bounding line of belly. 
/. Caudal fin rounded or subtruncate; back and sides with many small irregular black spots; no series of larger 
blotches bounding edge of belly. 
g. Dark shades on back, broad, appearing as ground-color and crossed by pale curved crossbars and streaks forming 
arcs of concentric circles, these sometimes broken by reticulations everywhere profusely spotted with black 
in adult; snout somewhat produced testudineus, 226 
ff. Caudal fin lunate or truncate, with angles acute or produced. 
h. Dorsal rays 8; body more or less prickly, above and below; color brownish above, vermiculated with paler; eye 
broader than interorbital space (in young of 4 inches) trichocephalus 
hli. Dorsal rays 10; body (in adult) everywhere perfectly smooth; interorbital space broad, equal to snout and twice 
diameter of eye; brown, with darker spots above pachygaster 
224. Spheroides speng-leri (Bloch). Southern Puffer ; Swell Toad; Tambor; “ Tamboril.” 
Head 2.38; eye 5; snout 2; interorbital 7; D. 7. Head compressed, long; snout very long, profile 
from tip of snout to above eye rising gradually, slightly concave in front of eye; interorbital space 
narrow, concave, slightly wider than in S. nephelus; posterior part of body usually smooth, with a 
number of small white dermal Haps; anterior part of body usually covered with small stiff prickles; 
region back of eyes and between pectorals and entire under-parts from throat nearly to anal fin prickly, 
those underneath strongest; head wholly naked above, a few weak prickles on cheek and a few on 
posterior part of throat. 
Color in alcohol: Dark grayish-brown above on head and body, thickly covered and mottled with 
black or brown spots and paler areas, spots often grouped, forming blotches; under parts white; tip of 
chin pale, behind and on sides of which is a broad dusky border; dark of side bordered below by a 
line of about 12 round black spots, varying somewhat in size, but averaging about size of pupil and 
iris; pectoral, dorsal, and anal pale; caudal rather distinctly barred, a broad dark bar at base, then a 
Somewhat broader pale bar, next another broad darkish bar, tip of tin pale. 
