BY "W. MACLEAY, F.L.S. 295 



Genus Leptoichthys, Kaup. 



Body with the ridges well developed. Pectoral and caudal 

 fins present ; the latter elongate. Dorsal fin of moderate length, 

 opposite to the vent. Humeral bones firmly united. The egg 

 receptacle on the abdomen. 



Australia. 



I have never seen Kaup's characters of this genus, and Dr. 

 Gunther makes no mention of it except to say that the caudal fin 

 is very long. The characters I have given above are however 

 sufficient to indicate the genus. 



962. Leptoichthys fistularius, Kaup. 



Gunth., Cat. Fishes VIII., p. 187. 



Snout very long, thin, and much compressed, extended in the 

 same plane as the finely shagreened head. Body unusually 

 elongated, hexagonal, with flat back and belly without inter- 

 mediate scaies. All the fins are much developed, especially the 

 caudal. The gill-opening is a longer slit than usual. Head oval, 

 occipital shield small, and a furrow commencing at the orbit 

 accompanies the rostral crest. Dp to the anus there are twenty- 

 seven body rings, twenty-four of them before the dorsal fin 

 which stands on nine rings, three of them belonging to the body. 

 The tail is four-cornered, higher than it is broad, and composed 

 of twenty-four long rings. Colour yellowish-brown, with a black 

 cross-band on each ring, ventral piece of the pectoral ririg and 

 the gill-cover silvery. Entire length twenty-two inches. Snout 

 1-97 inch, head and snout 2*76 inches, dorsal fin 1-97 inch, tail 

 9-46 inches, middle ray of caudal fin (not entire) -091 inch. 

 (Kaup.) 



King George's Sound. 



963. Leptoichthys Castelnaui. 

 Leptoichthys fistularius, Casteln. Proc. Zool Soc. Vict., Vol. II., 



p. 77. 



