42 Annals of the South African Museum. 



. .... FAMILY MUGILID^. 



GEN. MUGIL, Arted. 



MUGIL DIADEMA, n. sp. 

 (Diamond Mullet.) 



Depth of body equals length of head and is 4| times in total 

 length excluding caudal. Snout 1| times diameter of eye, which 

 is 2|- times in interorbital width and 5^ times in length of head ; 

 width of head nearly equals f its length. Eye without adipose lid ; 

 upper profile of head almost straight ; interorbital space slightly 

 convex, its width contained nearly 2J times in length of head ; cleft 

 of mouth twice as wide as deep, upper lip broad in the centre, lower 

 jaw with a hollow knob at symphysis which is received into a cor- 

 responding depression on upper jaw ; extremity of maxillary bone 

 visible, preorbital broad, about diameter of eye in width, serrated 

 at its posterior lower border ; uncovered space below chin long and 

 lanceolate ; nostrils close together and about midway between eye 

 and snout ; about 20 scales between snout and origin of spinous 

 dorsal. 



Dorsal iv, i 8 ; commences nearer to base of caudal than to point 

 of snout ; spines of 1st dorsal moderately strong, 1st spine longest 

 and f length of head ; soft dorsal higher than spinous, anterior rays 

 somewhat produced and nearly length of head, posterior border 

 of fin emarginate, length of base 2| times in longest ray. Pectorals 

 nearly as long as head. Ventrals ^ length of head, inserted midway 

 between base of pectorals and origin of spinous dorsal. Anal iii 9, 

 similar to soft dorsal but a little higher. Caudal deeply emarginate. 

 Scales large, extending over upper surface of head to snout ; fins 

 more or less covered with small oblong scales ; a very small axillary 

 scale. Lat. 1. 30 to root of caudal, lat. tr. 12. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), grey, dark above light on 

 abdomen ; thin, dark, hair-like streaks on each scale. 



One specimen, 313 mm. in length, from Durban Bay, from Mr. 

 Eomer Eobinson, Natal. 



It differs from Af. ceylonensis, Giinth., in length of pectorals 

 and soft dorsal, fewer scales in 1.1. and maxillary not entirely 

 hidden ; differs from M. Smithii in elongate soft dorsal and anal 

 which are characteristic of this species among South African 

 Mullets. 



