BY J. EOUGLAS OGILBY. 793 



Ophiorrhixus axgustifrons, sp.nov. 

 D. vii, i 10. A. i 10. Sc. 44/13 ca. 



Depth of body 5i, length of head 3i in the total length; width 

 of head 2i of interorbital region 8, diameter of eye 4 in the 

 length of the head; snout moderate and obtusely pointed, its 

 width between the posterior nostrils less than its length, which 

 is i of a diameter longer than the eye. Maxillaiy extending to 

 the vertical from the anterior border of the pupil, its length from 

 the tip of the snout 2;^- in that of the head. 13 gill-rakers on the 

 lower branch of the anterior arch. The space between the origin 

 of the first dorsal and the base of the last soft ray is li in its 

 distance from the extremity of the snout, that between the origin 

 of the second dorsal and the base of the caudal H in the remain- 

 ing length; soft dorsal higher than the spinous, its longest ray 

 1| in the head: ventral pointed, extending to the vent, li in the 

 head: pectoral with 18 rays, subequal in length to the ventral: 

 caudal moderate, 4 J in the total length; depth of peduncle 2 J in 

 its length, which is 1^ in that of the head. Occipital scales 

 extending forwards to the interorbital region. 



Pale yellowish-grey, the back and sides with irregular dusky 

 blotches caused by the aggregation of minute brown dots ; 

 extremity of first dorsal dusky; second dorsal and caudal with 

 irregular dusky bands. 



Etymology: — angustus, narrow; /7'0 ?«..§, forehead: alluding 

 to the narrowness of the interorbital region as compared with 

 that of its congeners. 



Type : — In my own collection. 



Distribution : — Described from three small specimens 

 taken in a net on Towree Point, Botany Bay, in pure salt water. 

 The largest measured 60 millimeters. 



Compared with an example of phioi'rhinus grandiceps of the 

 same size, the narrowness of the head and especially of the inter- 

 orbital region is at once noticeable, as also is the greater concavity 

 of the cephalic profile ; also the ventral fins are elongate and 

 filamentous even in the fry, while in the adult male of Q. grandi- 

 <:eps they are short, even in the breeding season. 



