HAPLOMI 



607 



Fam. 1. Galaxiidae. Margin of the upper jaw formed by 

 the praemaxillaries and the maxillaries, the latter behind the 

 former, and toothless. Parietals in contact with each other, and 

 separating the frontals from the supraoccipital ; opercular bones 

 all well developed. Basis cranii simple. Eibs inserted on 

 strong, autogenous parapophyses ; epipleurals and epineurals. 

 Post-temporal simple, attached to the epiotic ; post-clavicle 

 present. Body naked. Vertical fins far back ; no adipose 

 dorsal fin. Pectoral fins inserted very low down. Yentrals, if 

 present, with seven rays. Air-bladder present. Ova falling 

 into the cavity of the abdomen before exclusion. 



FIG. 366. Galaxias brevipinnis, from Xew Zealand, ^ natural size. 



The genus Galaxias has an interesting distribution, the 

 species of which it is made up occurring in the fresh waters of 

 the southern hemisphere, viz. 8 in New Zealand and neighbour- 

 ing islands, 7 in New South Wales, 3 or 4 in South Australia, 

 1 in West Australia, 2 in Tasmania, 7 in South America, from 

 Chili southwards, and 1 at the Cape of Good Hope. One 

 species (G. attenuatus) is even believed to be identical in New 

 Zealand, Tasmania, South Australia, the Falkland Islands, and 

 South America. This conclusion is probably correct from the 

 fact, which may account for the distribution of the whole genus, 



FIG. 367. Distribution of the Galaxiidae. 



