﻿FISHES.-McCULLOCfl. 



49 



scales. The dorsal and anal fins also have several more rays 

 each, but otherwise the two are very similar. 



The specimens were trawled off Flinders Island, Bass 

 Strait, in 40 fathoms, and off Wilson's Promontory, V'ictoria. 

 The following key will ser\e to distinguish the Australian 

 species of Pempheris : — 

 a. Anal fin with more than 30 rays ; body rather deep. 

 h. Scales mostly cycloid, ctenoid anteriorly, deciduous. 

 c. Scales large, 46-50 on lateral line (to the hypural) : — 



imiltiradiata. 

 cc. Scales smaller, 60-62 on the lateral line: — affinis. 

 hb. Scales ctenoid, adherent. 



d. 62-64 scales on the lateral line : — sonipressa. 



dd. 75 scales on the lateral line : — khmcingeyi. 



■ aa. Anal fin with less than 30 rays, body rather elongate. 



e. Edges of the scales with minute, irregular points, 

 though scarcely ctenoid : — elongata. 



Family SERRANID.-E. 

 Genus Epinephelus, Block. 

 Epinephelus septemfasciatus, Thunherg. 

 Grey-handed Rock Cod. 

 Plectyoponia siisuki, Giinther, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1867, p. 100. 

 Epinephelus septemfasciatus, Boulenger, Brit. Mus. Cat. 

 Fish., i., 1895, p. 226; id., Waite, Mem. Austr. Mus., iv., 

 1899, p. 75; id., Jordan & Richardson, Proc. U.S. Nat. 

 Mus., xxxvii., 1910, p. 458. 



Jordan and Richardson have recently expressed the opinion 

 that the Australian records of this species are probably in- 

 correct. I have compared the specimen taken by the 

 "Thetis," another of unknown origin, and two in the "En- 

 deavour" collection with the description given by these 

 authors of Japanese specimens, and find that they differ in 

 two small details only. None show the small patch of very 

 fine scales near the tip of the maxillary, nor in any is the sixth 

 band di\ ided as described. Giinther stated, however, that the 

 colouration of his Port Jackson specimens was as in that 

 figured by Schlegel, so that, though I think it possible that 

 the Australian fish represents a distinct subspecies, it is best 

 to lea\e the matter open until examples from both localities 

 can be compared. 



Two specimens trawled off the Clarence River, New South 

 Wales, in 26-30 fathoms. 



