332 DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, 



bases of the fins, and hind part of the tail being covered by 

 soft skin. Mouth small, maxillary and inter-maxillary bones 

 coalescent, each jaw with a single series of small slender teeth. 

 One short dorsal fin (without spine) opposite to the short anal. 

 Ventral fins none. Vertebrae fourteen, the five last extremely 

 short, the anterior sub-elongate ; ribs none. 



Tropical and Sub-tropical Seas. 



A. Carapace closed behind the anal fin. 



1031. OSTRACIOX CONCATENATUS, Bl. 



Gunth., Cat. Fishes VIII., p. 259. 



Carapace three-ridged, forming a broad continuous bridge 

 across the back of the tail. Dorsal ridge with two compressed 

 small spines placed close together, each ventral ridge with two 

 similar spines remote from each other. Supra-orbital edge with 

 a very small or minute spine, pointing backwards and outwards ; 

 it is frequently absent, sometimes double. All these spines 

 become less prominent with age, and only traces of them can be 

 discovered in full grown specimens (eight to ten inches). Inter- 

 orbital space concave. Adults with some horizontal dark stripes 

 on the cheek. 



Port Jackson. 



1032. Ostracion cubicus, Lin. 



Gunth., Cat. Fishes, VIII., p. 260. (Many synonyms.) 



Carapace four-ridged, without spines, forming a broad con- 

 tinuous ridge across the back of the tail. Ridges rather blunt. 

 Back slightly convex, without raised ridge in the median line. 

 Inter-orbital space concave. Snout with a hump immediately 

 above the mouth, in very old examples. Body with bluish 

 black-edged ocelli, not more than one on a scute ; but frequently 

 the ocelli are absent on the abdomen or head, or on a portion of 

 the sides or back. Head, sides, and abdomen frequently with 



