736 ADDITIONS TO THE FAUNA OP LORD HOWE ISLAND, 



I am pleased to have this opportunity of naming so interesting 

 a species for my friend James Adam Brodie, Esq., Visiting 

 Magistrate of Lord Howe Island, who has been indefatigable in 

 his endeavours to assist me in elucidating the ichthyological fauna 

 of this lonely oceanic islet. 



GEMPYLID7E. 



Mach^rope, gen.nov. 



Body elongate, strongly compressed, the ventral profile sub- 

 cultrate. Scales moderate, delicate, concentrically striated, 

 deciduous or few and scattered (as in Nealotus). Lateral line 

 obsolete. Head large, the snout moderate and acute. Mouth 

 with wide, oblique cleft. Lower jaw projecting. Premaxillaries 

 not protractile; maxillary exposed. Jaws with a series of acute, 

 compressed, distant teeth; anterior premaxillary teeth greatly 

 enlarged, fang-like ; palatines with a series of small, recurved 

 teeth; vomer, pter^^goids, and tongue smooth. Nostrils separate, 

 situated in a groove. Eyes large, lateral, round. Opercle deeply 

 notched, the lower limbs forming a broad spine-like point. Gill- 

 openings wide; gill-membranes separate, fi-ee from the isthmus; 

 gills four, a slit behind the fourth; seven branchiostegals; pseudo- 

 branchife present; gill-rakers small, distant, acute, unequal, a 

 single enlarged one at the angle. Two separate dorsal fins, with 

 XX, i 17 rays, the first originating above the middle of the opercle; 

 anal similar to the soft dorsal, with i 14 rays; two dorsal and two 

 anal finlets ; a strong, transversely compressed, grooved spine 

 behind the vent; ventrals inserted below the base of the pectorals, 

 close together, reduced to a single strong spine, provided with an 

 obliquely striated, keel-like expansion on its outer border; pecto- 

 rals pointed, with 13 rays, the upper the longer; caudal forked, 

 the peduncle without keel. Upper surface of head with a low 

 frontal and occipital crest, the former bifurcated posteriorly, and 

 with two pairs of stronger lateral ridges, the inner pair extending 

 forwards to tlie premaxillary processes. 



Etymology: — fidxaipa, a dagger or knife; drrr], opening or 

 vent : in reference to the strong dagger-like spine behind the anal 

 orifice. 



