186 CONTRIBUTIONS TO AUSTRALIAN ICHTHYOLOGY. 



eye, which is 3J in the length of the head. Interorbital region 

 flat, its width 6| in the head. Maxillary extending to the 

 vertical from the middle of the eye, its length from the tip of the 

 snout ^ of the head, its width at the distal extremity more than 

 lialf the diameter of the eye. Anterior teeth in the upper jaw 

 strong, hooked inwards and backwards; lateral teeth numerous, 

 decreasing in size posteriorly; teeth in the lower jaw increasing 

 in size posteriorly, the series terminating in a strongly curved 

 canine; a supplementary series of four pairs of strong teeth on the 

 outer edge of the lip anteriorly. Preopercle rounded. Gill- 

 rakers 16 + 21, the longest | of the diameter of the eye. Vertical 

 tins subcontinuous with the caudal;* dorsal originating aliove the 

 opercular lobe, the longest rays in the anterior third of the fin, 

 rather less than half the length of the head : anal oritrinatin": 

 below the eighth dorsal ray, its distance from the tip of the 

 mandible 4| in the total length : ventral rounded, about half the 

 length of the head, not nearly reaching to the vent : pectoral 

 with 16 rays, shorter than the ventral : caudal acutely pointed, 

 with 9 rays, the middle ray somewhat inspissate, about | of the 

 head. Nape scaleless. Lateral line terminating below the 

 twenty-sixth dorsal ray. Body and fins bright red, the middle 

 of the sides with some angular yellow bars; no intermaxillary or 

 dorsal spots. 



Etymology: — -australis, southern; the genus not having 

 been hitherto represented south of the tropics. 



Type in the possession of the Commissioners for Fisheries of 

 New South Wales. 



Distribution : — Port Jackson. I am indebted to my 

 friend Mr. Brodie, Secretary to the New South Wales Fisheries 

 Commissioners, for the opportunity of describing this unique 

 example of a family not hitherto recorded from Australia. The 

 specimen was taken in a seine net and measures 260 millimeters 

 over all. 



* The posteiior part of the tail haviug been dried, it is difBcult to 

 <iscertain accurately to what extent this contiguity exists; apparently, 

 however, it was narrow. 



