Desertions of Fishes from the Coast- of Natal. 55 



FAMILY SCYLLIID^E. 

 GEN. SCYLLIORHINUS, Gill. 



SCYLLIORHINUS NATALENSIS, Eegan. 



(Striped Dog-fish.) 



Teeth long, with a central setose cusp and 2 cusps at the base on 

 each side. Head broad, depressed ; snout obtusely pointed ; length 

 of snout -5% width of mouth and 2| times the space between the 

 nasal valves ; diameter of eye If times in length of snout ; no labial 

 folds ; gill-openings 14- times diameter of eye. Scales of body 

 trispinate. 



The 1st dorsal originates slightly in front of posterior base of 

 ventrals, the 2nd dorsal over posterior end of base of anal. Dorsal 

 fins equal ; the length of their respective bases is 2| times in the 

 distance between them, which is nearly 1^ times the distance 

 between the posterior margin of base of 2nd dorsal and base of 

 caudal ; posterior margin of pectorals situated less than ^ the dis- 

 tance between posterior end of its base and anterior end of ventrals ; 

 posterior end of ventrals pointed. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), grey, white underneath; with 

 transverse irregular bars across back which are dark-edged and 

 enclose a bar of the same shade as the ground colour ; 1 bar 

 crosses the head from eye to eye ; the 3 bars across the back 

 anterior to the origin of the ventrals extend to abdomen, the 

 remainder only reach to median line, 1 being at the base of each 

 dorsal fin, 1 midway between these fins, 1 midway between 

 2nd dorsal and base of caudal ; there are fainter bars between each 

 dark bar. Pectorals with transverse blotches. Ventrals with a 

 large blotch at base. Caudal with 2 partial bars only visible on 

 edge of fin, tip of fin dark ; tip of dorsals with a dark blotch. 



One specimen, 438 mm. in length, from Durban Museum. 



FAMILY RHINOBATHXE. 



GEN. EHINOBATUS, Mull, and Henl. 



RHINOBATUS BLOCHII, M. and H. 



Teeth on both jaws about equal in size. Snout elongate, its 

 length 7jL times in total length ; interorbital width 3^- times in 

 length of snout ; distance between outer angles of nostrils equals 



