168 CONTRIBUTIONS TO AUSTRALIAN ICHTHYOLOGY, 



Lateral line incomplete ; inner ridge of preopercle everywhere 

 entire; caudal fin obtusely pointed ... hemigramma. 



BOSTOCKIA HEMIGRAMMA, Sp.nOV. 



D.vii-viii 15-17. A. iiilO-11. Sc. 43-47/24. L.l. 8-15. 



Depth of body 3 to 3f , length of head 2| to 3i in the total 

 length. Dorsal profile much more strongly arched than the 

 abdominal; upper profile of head concave before the eyes in the 

 adult, nearly linear in the young. Diameter of eye 4| to 4| in 

 the length of the head and equal to or a little less than that of 

 the snout. Interorbital region gently rounded, its width 4j to 

 5^ in the head. Maxillary extending to the vertical from the 

 middle or posterior border of the pupil, its length 2i to 2|^ in the 

 head, its width at the distal extremity | to -^^ of the diameter of 

 the eye. Outer border of preopercle with 4 to 6 strong, hidden, 

 antrorse spines on the lower limb and angle; inner ridge entire. 

 Gill-rakers 4 4-7, mostly tubercular. Dorsal originating behind 

 the base of the pectoral; spines strong, the first minute and often 

 imperceptible, increasing in length to the fourth, which is § to ^ 

 of the head and |- to | of the longest soft rays, which are in the 

 latter half of the fin : second anal spine longer and stronger than 

 the third, ^ to i of the head and f to |^ of the longest soft rays:* 

 ventral rounded, |^ to ^ of the head and 4 to ^ of the space between 

 its origin and the vent : pectoral -| to | of the head : caudal sub- 

 cuneate, 3f to 4 in the total length ; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle equal to or a little shorter than its length and ^ to f of 

 the depth of the body. A large open pore below the chin and 

 another at the origin of the lateral line. 24 series of scales in a 

 transverse line between the first soft dorsal ray and the anal. 

 Lateral line tubes very variable, never extending beyond the 

 vertical from the origin of the anal. Vertebrae 12-1-21. Tawny- 

 yellow, more or less obscured by dark brown : fins yellow, the soft 



* The dorsal and anal spines are proportionately much longer in younj 

 than in large examples. 



