Griffin. — Four Fishes new to New Zealand. 353 



centre of eye. Its base is completely hidden beneath the preorbital, and its 

 distal end is very narrow and furnished with minute ctenoid scales. Mouth 

 feebly protractile, oblique; the hinder margin of premaxillary fitting close 

 to the anterior margin of preorbital. A very strong narrow membranous 

 fringe depending from the upper angle of premaxillary hides the vomer. 

 Jaws equal when the mouth is closed. A single series of villiform teeth 

 in both jaws extending well into the angles. Those of the upper jaw are 

 fewer in number than those of the lower. A few stronger and slightly 

 hooked canines are found sparsely disposed among the smaller ones, and 

 the two anterior canines of the lower jaw are produced outwards. Snout 

 obtuse ; the posterior nostril, situated above the anterior margin of eye, is 

 a single, simple, oblong opening, whilst the anterior one is very minute, 

 placed in a short tube, situated midway between its fellow and the tip of 

 snout ; there is a minute pore in front of and behind it. Various pores are 

 scattered about top and sides of head. A line of pores commencing behind 

 the eye completely surrounds that organ. Branchiostegals 6 ; gills 3| ; 

 the membrane united in front. Gill-rakers 29, long and hair-like on the 

 lower half of anterior arch. Pseudobranchii present. Dorsal fin moderate, 

 and placed in a groove ; it increases slightly in height backwards, the last 

 four rays being the longest. Anal fin similar to the dorsal, but the soft 

 rays are somewhat longer; it is placed in a groove, which, like that of the 

 dorsal, is not deep enough to enclose the fin when laid back. The mem- 

 brane of both fins is strong, and has a waved appearance. Pectoral 

 rounded, the upper rays slightly the longest ; it goes 6 times in the total 

 length of fish, and \\ in the height. Ventrals with a moderate spine, the 

 distal half being much flattened ; they reach to the posterior margin of the 

 vent. Caudal with its upper and lower outer rays produced ; the upper, 

 which is the largest, is 27 mm. beyond the margin of middle rays. All 

 the rays of the caudal are covered with minute ctenoid scales almost to 

 their outer margins. 



Measurements. — Total length, 225 mm. ; height, 65 mm. ; thickness of 

 body, 31 mm. ; length of head, 45 mm. ; eye, 15 mm. 



Trawled at the entrance to the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, September, 

 1920. 



Colour. — The colour given for this specimen was determined by com- 

 parison with Kidgway's Colour Standards and Nomenclature. Top of head, 

 excepting the extreme tip of snout, silvery light phlox-purple, joined on 

 the shoulders by a broad triangular band of light vinaceous rufous, which 

 reaches downwards, following the margin of operculum, to the base of the 

 1st pectoral spine. Behind the eye there is a band, lemon chrome-yellow 

 in colour, and about half the diameter of the eye in width, which reaches 

 to the posterior margin of operculum. This is joined below by another 

 band of similar width, but of a dull lavender-violet colour. Lower half of 

 head and opercles silvery-white, the margins of all the scales being greyish, 

 and their centres touched with pale lemon-yellow. Maxillary silvery-white ; 

 the scales on its distal margin are dull lavender-violet. Tip of snout and 

 premaxillary pinkish-white. Lower jaw very pale lemon-white Eye 

 lemon-yellow, streaked with zinc-orange, the lens being blue-black. Body, 

 from top of back downwards to an uneven line drawn from centre of 

 pectoral to the caudal peduncle, a light rosolane-purple hue over bright 

 silver, and below this, reaching to the ventral surface, it is ivory-yellow, 

 the centres of the scales reflecting Olympic blue. Above the base of 

 ventrals there is a patch, 30 mm. in width, which joins the body-colour 



12— Trans. 



