232 "ENDEAVOUR" SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



Paralichthys arsius, Waite, Mem. Austral. Mus., IV, 



1899, p. 120, fig. 8; Stead, Fish. Australia, p. 178 



(1906); Stead, Edible Fish. N. S. Wales, p. 103 



(1908). 



Depth of body If to 2| in the length, length of head 

 3^ to 3f. Dorsal profile of head straight or a little 

 notched in front of eyes. Snout much longer than eye 

 in adults; diameter of eye 4f to 7f in length of head; 

 upper eye generally slightly in advance of lower, and 

 separated from upper edge of head by a space equal to 

 i to f its diameter. Maxillary extending to below 

 posterior half of eye or beyond in adults, length 2^ to 

 2f in head ; lower jaw scarcely projecting, a knob at 

 the symphysis, length If to 2 in head. Teeth of upper 

 jaw small and moderately close-set laterally, two to four 

 pairs of moderate canines anteriorly; lateral teeth of 

 lower jaw much stronger and wider apart than those of 

 upper jaw, one or two pairs of strong canines anteriorly, 

 6 to 11 on blind side of jaw. Gill-rakers of moderate 

 length or rather short, their inner edges spinulate ; 9 to 15 

 on lower part of anterior arch. Scales of ocular side 

 ctenoid, those of blind side cycloid ; 70 to 80 in a longi- 

 tudinal series, 24 to 30 between lateral line and highest 

 point of dorsal profile. Height of arch of lateral line 

 2^ to 2| in length of same; accessory branch reaching 

 base of seventh to twelfth ray of dorsal fin. Dorsal 72-79 ; 

 commencing above or a little in advance of nostrils of 

 blind side, and at a distance in front of eye equal to f or 

 | its diameter. Anal 54-62; no visible spine. Left 

 pectoral with 11 to 13 rays (6 to 9 branched), base nearly 

 horizontal, length 1J to*2 in head. Caudal with 2/13/2 

 rays, middle rays longest, equal to or longer than length 

 of head. Length of caudal peduncle 2^ to 2| in the 

 depth, which is 2 to 2| in length of head. Brownish, 

 with or without some indistinct dusky spots and annular 

 markings; usually an indefinite dark blotch at the 

 junction of the straight and curved portions of the 

 lateral line, and another on the middle of the straight 

 portion ; fins with small brown spots. 



Hob. East Africa to the Pacific ; Australia ; north- 

 west Australia (Rendahl) ; Northern Territory; Queens- 

 land; New South Wales; South Australia. 



Described from numerous examples, 130-325 mm. in 

 total length. 



