348 DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, 



Vertical fins confluent, the dorsal commencing in the middle of 

 the body. The paired fins long, paddle-shaped, with a central 

 scaly axis bearing a rayed membrane above and below. Ventral 

 fins far back. Gill-opening a narrow slit. The upper and lower 

 jaw armed with a pair of very large six or seven-pronged teeth. 

 Skeleton semi-cartilaginous. 



Burnett and Dawson Eivers. Length three feet. 



1068. Ceratodus miolepis, Gunth. 

 Phil. Trans. 1 871, part 2, p. 516. 

 This species has more scales on the transverse line than C. 

 Forsteri, but is in other respects alike. It is probably only a 

 variety. 



Burnett Eiver. 



1069. Ompax spatuloides, Castelnau. 



The description of this genus and species will be found, with 

 all the details known or remembered, in the Proceedings of the 

 Linnean Society of New South Wales, Vol. IIP, p. 164, pi. 19 a., 

 fio-s. 1-2-3. I think it is probable that no such Pish was ever 

 found, but I give it a place in my Catalogue, in order to direct 

 attention to the subject, as the liklihood of finding Ganoid Pishes 

 in Queensland waters is asserted by several very distinguished 

 Naturalists. 



Order II. CHONDROPTERYGII. 



Skeleton cartilaginous ; skull without sutures. Body with medial 

 and paired fins, the hinder fair abdominal ; caudal fin with produced 

 upper lobe. Gills attached to the shin by the outer margin, with several 

 intervening gill-openings ; rarely one gill-opening only. No gill-cover. 

 ]\ T o air-bladder. Three series of valves in the bnlbus arteriosus. 

 Intestine with a spiral valve. Optic nerves com mi rurally united, not 

 decussating. Ovaries with few and large ova, which are impregnated 



