﻿FISHES.-MCCULLOCH. 5- 



also, and on a narrow band which extends backwards to the 

 ventrals. Lateral line feebly arched, its course directed to the 

 upper part of the caudal peduncle, whence it extends onto the 

 base of the tail. 



Colour. — Silvery, the scales with or without darker 

 margins. A broad black band occupies the space between the 

 fifth and thirteenth dorsal spines and extends to the ventrals, 

 narrowing considerably as it approaches them. A second 

 similar band extends from the soft dorsal to the anal, while 

 there is another less distinct one enveloping the anterior por- 

 tion of the head and defined posteriorly by a line descending 

 from the nape, behind the eye to the throat. These two last 

 bands are usually not so well defined as the first, and may be 

 altogether absent. Pectorals, ventrals and anal blackish ; 

 dorsals and caudal light or dusky, the dark bands of the body 

 sometimes continued onto the former. 



Described fi'om six specimens, the largest being 380 mm. 



long-. 



This species is so far recorded from Tasmania and Victoria 

 only, but there is a specimen in the Australian Museum from 

 Adelaide. Castelnau confused it with Cheilodactylus gibbosus, 

 Richardson, and as such recorded it first from Hobson's Bay 

 and later from Port Jackson. i The Victorian record un- 

 doubtedly refers to G. visonarius, while the second is based on 

 the true G. gibbosus which is occasionally seen around piles, 

 etc., in Port Jackson in small numbers. 



This species is undoubtedly a member of the same genus as 

 the Cheilodactyhis vittatiis, Garrett, described and figured by 

 Jordan and Evermann.2 but whether this really belongs to 

 Lac^p^de's genus is doubtful. I therefore place visonarius in 

 Goniistius, to which genus Waite referred G. vittattts.^ 



The specimens preserved in the "Endeavour" collections 

 came from Anderson Bay, Tasmania, 14 fathoms, and off the 

 east coast of Flinders Island, Bass Strait. 



Genus Dactvlosp.arus, Gill. 



Dactylospanis, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., 1862 {car- 

 ponemus, Cuv. & Val.). 



This genus appears to be distinguished from Cheilodactyhis, 

 Lac^pede, chiefly in having the anal fin oblong and nearly 

 uniformly high instead of short and highest anteriorly. 



1 Castelnau— Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, ill., 1879, pp. 351, 363. 



2 Jordan & Evermann— Bull. U.S. Pish. Comm., xxiii.. pt. 1. 1903 '1905i.. 



p. 447, pi. liv. 



3 Waite— Rec. Austr. Mus.. iv.. 1902. p. 185. 



