of new south wales. 275 



Family Sparilve. 



36. — Pachymetopon squamosum. 



Plate IX. Fig. 1. 



Form oval. Height of body at the extremity of the ventral 

 fin two and a half times in the total length. Head, nearly five 

 times in the same. Mouth small. Intermaxillary large, rounded 

 above, and without scales. Upper maxillary reaching to the vertical 

 from the posterior nostril, which is elongate. A convex transverse 

 protuberance extends between the eyes, and in front of that the 

 head is without scales. The eyes are rather large, of a yellow colour, 

 and very distant. The prseoperculum is entirely covered with 

 scales, and is very slightly serrated on the angle, which is broadly 

 rounded. Scales on lateral line, 58. Scales on body moderate. 

 Pectoral, caudal, anal, and soft dorsal fins completely covered with 

 minute scales The pectorals are short, not reaching to the middle 

 of the ventrals. The caudal is broadly bilobed. The oft dorsal and 

 anal fins are elevated, and vertical behind. Dorsal spines 11, short, 

 received into a dorsal groove. Anal spines, 3, the third as much 

 longer than the second as the second is longer than the first. Colour 

 greenish olive, paler towards the belly, each scale with a light 

 pearly centre, giving an appearance of many longitudinal lines. 



Pacliymetopon grande, the fish for which this genus was formed, 

 is described by Gunther Cat. Brit. Mus. Fishes, vol. 1, p. 24, with 

 great care, though from an old specimen and without a habitat. 

 The present species from Hall Sound, New Guinea, is evidently 

 very distinct. The fins are more completely covered with scales, 

 so is the prfeoperculum ; the soft dorsal and anal fins are differently 

 shaped; the pectoral fin is short, instead of elongate, and the 

 coloration and form of the fish is different . 



The specimen, which was speared by the natives, is about four- 

 teen inches long, over five inches in height at the highest part — 

 the vent, and is of considerable thickness. 



37. — Lethrinus nematacanthus. 

 Bleek. Japan, p. 403, and Verh. Batav. Genootsch. 26, p. 91, 

 tab. 6. 



