216 DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, 



size. Teeth minute, in a single series in the jaws, on the vome r 

 and on the palatine hones. Gill-openings rather wide, the gill- 

 membranes not attached to the isthmus. Branchiostegals six. 



Australian Rivers. 



824. Prototroctes mar^ena, Gunth. 



Gunth., Cat. Fishes V., p. 382. " The Yarta Herring:' 



B. 6. D. 10. A. 19. P. 13. Y. L. lat. 78. L. transv. 19. 



Body compressed, the height about one-fourth of the length 

 (without caudal) ; the belly strongly compressed, the scales on 

 one side not extending to the other, leaving a naked groove from 

 the ventrals to the anal. Head small, terminating in a conical 

 snout, with the upper jaw longest ; the snout rather longer than 

 the diameter of the eye, which is one-fourth of the length of the 

 head, and equal to the width of the convex interorbital space. 

 The cleft of the mouth extends to below the anterior margin of 

 the orbit ; the maxillary and intermaxillary are very solid bones, 

 firmly adherent to one another and extending equally far back- 

 wards. A single series of minute teeth on the intermaxillary, 

 vomer, and palatine bones. The cheek and opercular apparatus 

 are naked. Operculum quadrangular. The dorsal fin midway 

 between the oral and caudal extremities ; caudal emarginate ; 

 the pectorals are rather longer than the ventrals. Scales moderate, 

 irregular, thin and cycloid ; no lateral line. Greenish-olive ; 

 sides and belly silvery. Length ten inches. 



Rivers of Victoria and Tasmania. 



Family III. SCOPELIDiE. 



Body naked or scaly. Margin of the upper jaw formed by 

 the intermaxillary only ; opercular apparatus sometimes incom- 

 pletely developed. Barbels none. Gill-openings very wide ; 

 pseudobranchise well developed. Air-bladder none. Adipose 

 fin present. The eggs are enclosed in the sacs of the ovarium 



