Arothron gillbanksii (Gillbanks' Globe Fish)
This conversation is connected to Arothron gillbanksii (Gillbanks' Globe Fish).
A globe fish rendered at natural size in watercolor, its round body dark brown-black covered in white and pale blue spots, with pink-red fins and a fan-shaped tail. The fish is shown in profile against a plain cream ground, its small eye and pursed mouth giving it a slightly startled expression. Scientific notations are inscribed at the top of the sheet, and the specimen location and date are recorded at the bottom: Moturoa, 26 March 1875. This is a field illustration made for scientific documentation, the kind of drawing produced on expeditions to record new species before the age of photography. The specificity of the markings and the care given to the fin structure place it firmly in the tradition of 19th-century natural history illustration.