Fishes . uch shorter and broader atbase than those of Diodon. Numerous species are known. Chilomycterus scha-pfi is the common rabbit-fish, or swell-toad of our Atlantic coast, light green, prettily varied with blacklines. The larger Chilomycterus affinis, with the pectoral finspotted with black, is widely diffused through the Pacific. Itis rather common in Japan, where it is the torabuku, or tigerpuffer. It is found also in Hawaii, and it is once recorded byDr. Eigenmann from San Pedro, California, and once by Snod-grass and Heller, from the Galapagos. Series Plectognathi 635 The Head-fishes:
Fishes . uch shorter and broader atbase than those of Diodon. Numerous species are known. Chilomycterus scha-pfi is the common rabbit-fish, or swell-toad of our Atlantic coast, light green, prettily varied with blacklines. The larger Chilomycterus affinis, with the pectoral finspotted with black, is widely diffused through the Pacific. Itis rather common in Japan, where it is the torabuku, or tigerpuffer. It is found also in Hawaii, and it is once recorded byDr. Eigenmann from San Pedro, California, and once by Snod-grass and Heller, from the Galapagos. Series Plectognathi 635 The Head-fishes: Molidae.—The head-fishes, or Molidce, alsocalled sunfishes, have the body abbreviated behind so that thedorsal, anal, and caudal seem to be attached to the posterioroutline of the head. This feature, constituting the so-calledgephyrocercal tail is a trait of specialized degradation. Mola mola, the common head-fish or sunfish, is foimd occa-sionally in all tropical and temperate seas. Its form is almost. Fig. 532—Headfish (adult), Mola mola (Linnaus). Virginia. circular, having been compared by Linnaeus to a mill-wheel(mola), and its surface is covered with a rough, leathery swims very lazily at the siirface of the water, its high dorsaloften rising above the surface. It is rarely used as food, thoughnot known to be poisonous. The largest example known to thewriter was taken at Redondo Beach, California, by Mr. ThomasShooter, of Los Angeles. This specimen was 8 feet 2 inches in 636 Series Plectognathi length, and weighed 1200 pounds. Another, almost as large,was taken at San Diego, in April, 1904. No difference has beennoticed among specimens from California, Cape Cod, Japan,and the Mediterranean. The young, however, differ con-siderably from the adult, as might be expected in a fish of suchgreat size and extraordinary form. Fragments named Cliclonopsis, and doubtfullyreferred to Mola, are foimd in the Pliocene ofBelgium. Certain jaws of cretaceous age, attrib-uted
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