268: TETRAODONTIDAE (BLAASOPS)
with narrow inner border of transparent skin. Two species,
P. coheni Tyler & Paxton, 1979 from Norfolk Id. in the
Pacific differs from ours in having a LL, smaller nasal
organs (diameter of nasal organ contained twice in distance
between them), body depth (uninflated) 5-6 in SL, and dermal spines only on belly.
268.24 Pe/agocepha/us marki
Heemstra & Smith, 1981
PLATE 144
Rippled blaasop
Rimpel-blaasop
Pelagocephalus marki Heemstra & Smith, 1981: 911, Figs. 1-3 (Port
Alfred).
D 9; A 9; P 14; body depth (un inflated) 2.6-3.0 in SL; vertebrae 8+9 =
17; diameter of nasal organ 1.5-1.7 in distance between them and 2.9-4.0
in eye di~meter; no LL; spinules all over except snout and C peduncle; gill
opening a crescent before upper 7-10 Prays.
Emerald green reticulations on back and C peduncle giving appearance of whole back pale luminous green fading
into black laterally; ventral surface bright silver. Colour in
alcohol: dark dorsally, with vermiculated pale lines, paler
on sides and lower head, belly whitish or grey; scattered
dark specks on top and sides of head and body; margins of
nostril and orbit white; upper half of mouth opening also
with pale border; C dusky, darker distally; other fins pale,
transparent. Peritoneum dark grey. Attains 12 cm. Port
Alfred to Knysna; reported from New Zealand (Hardy,
1982). Probably a pelagic species.
Genus Sphoeroides Anonymous, 1798
Only one LL; no raised skin fold along ventrolateral part
of C peduncle; nasal organ covered by a small sac with 2
nostrils; C truncate; A origin at or behind vertical from last
D ray. Vertebrae 17-20. Numerous Atlantic species, a few
Indo-Pacific, only 1 in our area.
268.25 Sphoeroides pachygaster
(MOiler & Troschel, 1848)
PLATE 144
Blunthead blaasop
Stompkop-blaasop
Tetrodon pachygaster Muller & Troschel, in Schomburgk, 1848: 677
(Barbados). Spheroides dubius von Bonde, 1923: 40, PI. 2, Fig. 3 (Natal);
Winterbottom, 1974: 8. Sphaeroides cutaneus: Smith, SFSA No. 1190*.
Sphoeroides pachygaster: Shipp, 1974: 44 *; Tyler, 1980: 291*,300*,323*.
D 8-9; A 8-9; P 14-17; skin of ventral surface of head and body wrinkled.
Uniform brownish, white ventrally; sometimes a few
dark spots on flanks. Peritoneum white. Attains 26 cm. Circumglobal, a deep-water species from the Cape to Beira
down to 200 m. Feeds mainly on squid.
902
Genus Takifugu Abe, 1949
Two LL, lower along the ventrolateral part of peduncle
on a low skin ridge; A origin below front Y:z of D; C truncated; nasal organs covered by a small sac with 2 nostrils.
Monotypic.
268.26 Takifugu ob/ongus
(Bloch, 1786)
PLATE 144
Lattice blaasop
Ruitjies-blaasop
Tetrodon oblongus Bloch, 1786:.6, PI. 146, Fig. 1 (Coromandel, India).
Torquigener oblongus: Smith, SFSA No. 1197*. Fugu oblongus: Tyler,
1980:303*,315*,331*.
D 12-14; A 10-12; P 14-16; belly, top of head, and front part of back with
spinules.
Brownish above with pale spots, yellowish white below;
narrow dark bars on sides. Attains about 40 cm. Indo-West
Pacific south to Natal, rare.
Genus TorquigenerWhitley, 1930
At least 16 species; 2 species that occur in our area are
here tentatively assigned to this genus.
KEY TO SPECIES
la C peduncle length 3.5-3.7 in SL; bony interorbital
width 9-11 in head length; mouth width/interorbital
= 2.8-3.3 .... .......... ............ ................................. .. ...... T. sp.
lb C peduncle length 4.6-5.4 in SL; bony
interorbital width 5-7 in head; mouth
width/interorbital = 1.1-1.8 ........................... T. hypselogeneion
268.27 Torquigener hypselogeneion
(Bleeker, 1852)
PLATE 144
Dwarf blaasop
Dwerg-blaasop
Tetraodon hypselogeneion Bleeker, 1852: 24 (Ambon, Indonesia).
Amblyrhynchotes hypselogeneion: Smith, SFSA No. 1199*. Torquigener
hypselogeneion: Hardy, 1983: 65*.
D 8-9; A 7-8; P 13-14; spinules on belly recessed, 14-17 between Pbases.
Lower edge of gill opening with a cartilaginous spur overlaid by 2 or 3
short spinules.
268.27 Torquigener hypselogenion: 6.5 em SL (Knysna).
with narrow inner border of transparent skin. Two species,
P. coheni Tyler & Paxton, 1979 from Norfolk Id. in the
Pacific differs from ours in having a LL, smaller nasal
organs (diameter of nasal organ contained twice in distance
between them), body depth (uninflated) 5-6 in SL, and dermal spines only on belly.
268.24 Pe/agocepha/us marki
Heemstra & Smith, 1981
PLATE 144
Rippled blaasop
Rimpel-blaasop
Pelagocephalus marki Heemstra & Smith, 1981: 911, Figs. 1-3 (Port
Alfred).
D 9; A 9; P 14; body depth (un inflated) 2.6-3.0 in SL; vertebrae 8+9 =
17; diameter of nasal organ 1.5-1.7 in distance between them and 2.9-4.0
in eye di~meter; no LL; spinules all over except snout and C peduncle; gill
opening a crescent before upper 7-10 Prays.
Emerald green reticulations on back and C peduncle giving appearance of whole back pale luminous green fading
into black laterally; ventral surface bright silver. Colour in
alcohol: dark dorsally, with vermiculated pale lines, paler
on sides and lower head, belly whitish or grey; scattered
dark specks on top and sides of head and body; margins of
nostril and orbit white; upper half of mouth opening also
with pale border; C dusky, darker distally; other fins pale,
transparent. Peritoneum dark grey. Attains 12 cm. Port
Alfred to Knysna; reported from New Zealand (Hardy,
1982). Probably a pelagic species.
Genus Sphoeroides Anonymous, 1798
Only one LL; no raised skin fold along ventrolateral part
of C peduncle; nasal organ covered by a small sac with 2
nostrils; C truncate; A origin at or behind vertical from last
D ray. Vertebrae 17-20. Numerous Atlantic species, a few
Indo-Pacific, only 1 in our area.
268.25 Sphoeroides pachygaster
(MOiler & Troschel, 1848)
PLATE 144
Blunthead blaasop
Stompkop-blaasop
Tetrodon pachygaster Muller & Troschel, in Schomburgk, 1848: 677
(Barbados). Spheroides dubius von Bonde, 1923: 40, PI. 2, Fig. 3 (Natal);
Winterbottom, 1974: 8. Sphaeroides cutaneus: Smith, SFSA No. 1190*.
Sphoeroides pachygaster: Shipp, 1974: 44 *; Tyler, 1980: 291*,300*,323*.
D 8-9; A 8-9; P 14-17; skin of ventral surface of head and body wrinkled.
Uniform brownish, white ventrally; sometimes a few
dark spots on flanks. Peritoneum white. Attains 26 cm. Circumglobal, a deep-water species from the Cape to Beira
down to 200 m. Feeds mainly on squid.
902
Genus Takifugu Abe, 1949
Two LL, lower along the ventrolateral part of peduncle
on a low skin ridge; A origin below front Y:z of D; C truncated; nasal organs covered by a small sac with 2 nostrils.
Monotypic.
268.26 Takifugu ob/ongus
(Bloch, 1786)
PLATE 144
Lattice blaasop
Ruitjies-blaasop
Tetrodon oblongus Bloch, 1786:.6, PI. 146, Fig. 1 (Coromandel, India).
Torquigener oblongus: Smith, SFSA No. 1197*. Fugu oblongus: Tyler,
1980:303*,315*,331*.
D 12-14; A 10-12; P 14-16; belly, top of head, and front part of back with
spinules.
Brownish above with pale spots, yellowish white below;
narrow dark bars on sides. Attains about 40 cm. Indo-West
Pacific south to Natal, rare.
Genus TorquigenerWhitley, 1930
At least 16 species; 2 species that occur in our area are
here tentatively assigned to this genus.
KEY TO SPECIES
la C peduncle length 3.5-3.7 in SL; bony interorbital
width 9-11 in head length; mouth width/interorbital
= 2.8-3.3 .... .......... ............ ................................. .. ...... T. sp.
lb C peduncle length 4.6-5.4 in SL; bony
interorbital width 5-7 in head; mouth
width/interorbital = 1.1-1.8 ........................... T. hypselogeneion
268.27 Torquigener hypselogeneion
(Bleeker, 1852)
PLATE 144
Dwarf blaasop
Dwerg-blaasop
Tetraodon hypselogeneion Bleeker, 1852: 24 (Ambon, Indonesia).
Amblyrhynchotes hypselogeneion: Smith, SFSA No. 1199*. Torquigener
hypselogeneion: Hardy, 1983: 65*.
D 8-9; A 7-8; P 13-14; spinules on belly recessed, 14-17 between Pbases.
Lower edge of gill opening with a cartilaginous spur overlaid by 2 or 3
short spinules.
268.27 Torquigener hypselogenion: 6.5 em SL (Knysna).