302 DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, 



sixteenth, twenty-fourth and twenty-seventh tail-rings. A similar 

 pair of ventral processes on the ninth body-ring'. Scarlet or 

 orange-coloured, with numerous small, round, yellow spots. Each 

 of the nine anterior body-rings with a violet band on the lower 

 half ; two or three similar bands before the vent. 



Port Jackson, South Australia, Tasmania. 



975. PlIYLLOPTERYX EQUES, GrUUtll. 



Proc. Zool. Soc, 1865, p. 327, pi. 15, and Cat. Pishes VIIL, p. 197. 



D. 37. Osseous rings 19 + 3G. 



The snout is as long as the distance of the front margin of the 

 orbit from the hind part of the nape ; it bears a pair of small 

 spines behind the middle of its upper edge, a pair of minute 

 barbels at the chin, and a pair of long appendages in the middle 

 of its lower part. The forehead bears an erect, broad, sub- 

 quadrangular crest, with a shorter single spine behind ; a 

 horizontal spine above each orbit ; a cluster of spines with narrow 

 appendages on the occiput. Nape of the neck with a long spine, 

 dilated at the base into a crest, and carrying a long bilid 

 appendage. The trunk is compressed, somewhat dilated, strongly 

 arched on the back, and with two deep indentations in its lower 

 profile. The spines are of three kinds : 1 . The band bearing 

 spines are the strongest, strongly compressed, not flexible, each 

 terminating in a pair of short points. There are one pair of 

 these spines in the middle of the back, and one on each of the 

 three prominences of the abdominal outline ; the naj)s are long 

 and bifid. 2. Very long, compressed and somewhat ilexible 

 spines without appendages ; these occupy in pairs the uppermost 

 part of the back, and in a single series the median line of the 

 belly. 3. Small short conical spines run in series along the 

 lateral edges of the belly ; a pair of similar spines in front of the 

 luwer part of tho base of the pectoral fin. Tail quadrangular, 

 with sharp edges, and with five pairs of band-bearing spines 



