Tetraodon schoutedeni Pellegrin 1926

Male sometimes guards the clutch.

Found in large rivers (Ref. 2829), i.e. not a brackishwater species. Feeds on benthic animals such as snails and worms.

Found in large rivers (Ref. 2829), i.e. not a brackish water species. Feeds on benthic animals such as snails and worms. Solitary, aggressive against conspecifics. Eggs are deposited on leaves and defended by the male.

fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial

Tetraodon schoutedeni Pellegrin

A 1β is well developed, and similar to that of Xenopterus, the posteroventral portion having expanded posterodorsally along the roof of the orbit. A 2α is reduced dorsally, and there is only a thin slip of muscle to the posterodorsolateral face of the hyomandibular beneath the dorsal process of the opercle. The adductor operculi is very well developed. A lateral bundle of the sphincter oesophagi attaches to the anteroventral face of epibranchial 4. The flexor ventralis externus inserts only on V 1, while the flexor ventralis attaches to V 2–5. The transversus caudalis inserts on V 2.

Summary of Tetraodontidae

A number of regions of the body in this family show myological variation. The subdivisions of the adductor mandibulae, while constant in presence and position, show a considerable variation in relative development. This is particularly true of the A 1 sections, and of A 2β. The size and sites of origin of the dilatator operculi differ markedly, as does the insertion of the anterolateral bundle of fibers of this muscle. The lateral fibers of the hyohyoidei adductores vary in size and position. The insertion of the levatores externi shows considerable variation, and there are other minor differences in the dorsal branchial musculature. The number and form of the inclinatores anales differ, and there is some variation in the relative development of the posterodorsolateral bundle of fibers of the obliquus inferioris. The number of insertion tendons (and their relative positions) of the hypochordal longitudinalis, flexor ventralis, flexor ventralis externus, and transversus caudalis varies widely. The remaining muscles are relatively conservative in the members of the family examined.

Myological Descriptions of Representative Canthigasterids

The typical body outline of this monogeneric family is illustrated in Figure 9. Fraser-Brunner (1943) recognizes a single genus with 15 species in this family. Representatives of two of the species were dissected for this study.

The head region is higher, narrower, and of less robust construction than in the tetraodontids. Other bodily proportions are similar, and some inflation is possible. These fishes can also raise the skin on the back into a ridge by contraction of the underlying cutaneous musculature. They are usually brightly colored coral reef forms, feeding mainly on sea grasses and soft-bodied marine invertebrates.

As outlined above, they are generally considered to be closely allied to the Tetraodontidae.

Tetraodon schoutedeni is a species of pufferfish native to Africa's Congo Basin. This species grows to a length of 9 cm (3.5 in).

This species is named in honour of the Belgian zoologist Henri Schouteden.