5a No spinules on head or body .................................. Sphoeroides
Nostril of S. pachygaster
5b Spinules all over head and body except for C
peduncle ................................................................ Tylerius
6a Spinules on back, belly and head minute, very
numerous, hidden by tiny, scale-like, imbricating
lappets; belly covered with imbricating lappets
(no pleats); lappets extend along both LL's on
peduncle; P 14-16 (not counting tiny nubbin at
upper end offin base) ................................... Amblyrhynchotes
0 · · , " " ·
.... ~ - . : ~ .. :~~ . . ' - ~~'/ '. ' "
.. '~ ~ ,'., -' : . -~,:~ ..... :' " - .
Nostril of A. honckenii.
6b Spinules less numerous, well separated on
back and belly; lappets on belly inconspicuous,
the skin with numerous longitudinal pleats; no
lappets on peduncle; P 13 or 14 (not counting
nubbin at upper end of P base) ............................... Torquigener
7a Interorbital space longer than snout; C peduncle
depth subequal to its length ....................................... Takifugu
7b Interorbital space shorter than snout; C peduncle
depth Yz or less of peduncle length ......................... Lagocephalus
.
. ::.' .' . '
~i :
Nostril of L. scleratus.
Sa Nasal organs a disc-shaped, shallow depression
on each side of snout; no LL .............................. Pelagocephalus
Nostril of P. marki.
Sb Nasal organs not a disc-shaped, shallow depression;
LL present .. . .. ............ ............. .. . .. ..... .. .. ... ... .. .. . ..... .. . .. .. ... 9
268: TETRAODONTIDAE (BLAASOPS)
9a Nasal organs in the form of a depression with
slightly raised margin expanded before and
behind into a pair of elongate flaps, or cup
shaped with front and rear edges produced into
broadly rounded flaps; A ~ S-9 ;-; .:-' ................... .. Chelonodon
. -: ,::-~' . . ,~ ... :
, '.
f
.~
Nostril of C. laticeps.
9b Nasal organs a bifid tentacle, the opposing
surface of each tentacle with minute pits; A 9-12 ....... Arothron
Nostril of A. immaculatus.
Genus Amblyrhynchotes Dumeril, 1855
Mouth at or above a horizontal line through upper end of
P base; chin prominent; nasal organ covered by a small sac
with 2 nostrils; back and belly with at least a few spinules;
gill opening reaching to below middle Prays. Monotypic.
268.1 Amblyrhynchotes honckenii
(Bloch,1795)
PLATE 142
Evileye blaasop
Boosoog-blaasop
Tetrodon Honckenii Bloch, 1795: 133, PI. 143 (Tranquebar, India).
Sphaeroides marleyi Fowler, 1929: 263, Fig. 6 (off Tugela River in about
400 m). Amblyrhynch'otes honckenii: Smith, SFSA No. 1198*; Smith &
Smith, 1966: 3S*; Tyler, 19S0: 293*,301*, 32S*; van der Elst, 19S1: 343*
(and illustration labelled Chelonodon patoca on p. 344).
D 9-10; AS; P 14-16; C peduncle short, 3.6-4.6 in SL; bony interorbital
width 4.2-7.7 in HL and 1.4-2.4 in mouth width. About 42 spinules (each
covered by a scale-like lappet) across belly between P bases. Cartilaginous
spur on lower edge of gill opening more or less hidden by a patch of long,
skin-covered spinules.
Dorsal surface blackish brown, with large yellowish white
spots; lateral surface yellow; ventral parts white; P, D and C
268.1 Amblyrhynchotes honckenii: 9 em (Natal).
895
Nostril of S. pachygaster
5b Spinules all over head and body except for C
peduncle ................................................................ Tylerius
6a Spinules on back, belly and head minute, very
numerous, hidden by tiny, scale-like, imbricating
lappets; belly covered with imbricating lappets
(no pleats); lappets extend along both LL's on
peduncle; P 14-16 (not counting tiny nubbin at
upper end offin base) ................................... Amblyrhynchotes
0 · · , " " ·
.... ~ - . : ~ .. :~~ . . ' - ~~'/ '. ' "
.. '~ ~ ,'., -' : . -~,:~ ..... :' " - .
Nostril of A. honckenii.
6b Spinules less numerous, well separated on
back and belly; lappets on belly inconspicuous,
the skin with numerous longitudinal pleats; no
lappets on peduncle; P 13 or 14 (not counting
nubbin at upper end of P base) ............................... Torquigener
7a Interorbital space longer than snout; C peduncle
depth subequal to its length ....................................... Takifugu
7b Interorbital space shorter than snout; C peduncle
depth Yz or less of peduncle length ......................... Lagocephalus
.
. ::.' .' . '
~i :
Nostril of L. scleratus.
Sa Nasal organs a disc-shaped, shallow depression
on each side of snout; no LL .............................. Pelagocephalus
Nostril of P. marki.
Sb Nasal organs not a disc-shaped, shallow depression;
LL present .. . .. ............ ............. .. . .. ..... .. .. ... ... .. .. . ..... .. . .. .. ... 9
268: TETRAODONTIDAE (BLAASOPS)
9a Nasal organs in the form of a depression with
slightly raised margin expanded before and
behind into a pair of elongate flaps, or cup
shaped with front and rear edges produced into
broadly rounded flaps; A ~ S-9 ;-; .:-' ................... .. Chelonodon
. -: ,::-~' . . ,~ ... :
, '.
f
.~
Nostril of C. laticeps.
9b Nasal organs a bifid tentacle, the opposing
surface of each tentacle with minute pits; A 9-12 ....... Arothron
Nostril of A. immaculatus.
Genus Amblyrhynchotes Dumeril, 1855
Mouth at or above a horizontal line through upper end of
P base; chin prominent; nasal organ covered by a small sac
with 2 nostrils; back and belly with at least a few spinules;
gill opening reaching to below middle Prays. Monotypic.
268.1 Amblyrhynchotes honckenii
(Bloch,1795)
PLATE 142
Evileye blaasop
Boosoog-blaasop
Tetrodon Honckenii Bloch, 1795: 133, PI. 143 (Tranquebar, India).
Sphaeroides marleyi Fowler, 1929: 263, Fig. 6 (off Tugela River in about
400 m). Amblyrhynch'otes honckenii: Smith, SFSA No. 1198*; Smith &
Smith, 1966: 3S*; Tyler, 19S0: 293*,301*, 32S*; van der Elst, 19S1: 343*
(and illustration labelled Chelonodon patoca on p. 344).
D 9-10; AS; P 14-16; C peduncle short, 3.6-4.6 in SL; bony interorbital
width 4.2-7.7 in HL and 1.4-2.4 in mouth width. About 42 spinules (each
covered by a scale-like lappet) across belly between P bases. Cartilaginous
spur on lower edge of gill opening more or less hidden by a patch of long,
skin-covered spinules.
Dorsal surface blackish brown, with large yellowish white
spots; lateral surface yellow; ventral parts white; P, D and C
268.1 Amblyrhynchotes honckenii: 9 em (Natal).
895