BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 787 



As will be seen from the synonymy given above Bleeker has 

 placed this fish in the genus AsterrojJteryx,* from which I have 

 found it necessary to remove it to my genus Carassiops,\ because 

 in Asterropteryx (fide, Giinther, Catal. iii. p. 132) the teeth are in 

 a single series, and there is no genital papilla. The only differences 

 between the group to which this species belongs and the typical 

 Carassiops consist of the more depressed snout, the more elongated 

 caudal peduncle, and the increased lepidosis of the head. 



There can be no doubt that this is the species described by 

 Giinther (Catal. I.e.) as Eleotris cyprinoides, nor do I think that 

 Bleeker's correctness in separating that species from the E. 

 cyprinoides of the Histoire Naturelle can be called in question. 

 There is, however, good reason for believing that Klunzinger's 

 South Australian fish is distinct from both, since it differs not 

 only in having a larger number of dorsal rays, but in the posses- 

 sion of no less than ten transverse series of scales between the 

 origin of the second dorsal and the anal fins. This form might 

 be separated as Munzingeri. It will, however, be necessary to 

 make a critical comparison of all the species of Carassiops from 

 different localities before these points can be definitely settled. 



If Klunzinger's fish is not Carassiops guentheri the latter has 

 at present no status in the Australasian fauna, but a glance at 

 its recorded distribution will show that its ultimate inclusion 

 within our limits is a mere matter of time; there can, therefore, 

 be no objection to describing, and so inviting attention to it in 

 this paper. 



It is worth noting that in the New Caledonian examples the 

 number of dorsal rays is constantly less than in those examined 

 by Bleeker and Giinther. 



My largest specimen measures 90 millimeters. 



* Asterropteryx, Riippell, Atl. Fisch. Roth, ileer. p. 138, 1828 (semi- 

 punctatus). 



t Carassiops, Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, xxi. 1897, p. 732 

 (co7npressrisJ. 



