248 SOME NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF FISHES, 



the vent, the space between its origin and the tip of the snout 2y^ 

 to 2i in the total length; anal fin higher than the dorsal, its outer 

 border undulating, well developed anteriorly and postmesially ; 

 both it and the dorsal are very low towards the end of the tail, 

 but are expanded and fan-shaped around its tip, where the heij^ht 

 of the anal equals the length of the snout, the dorsal being some- 

 wdiat lower. 



Uniform pale reddish-brown, the fins lighter. 



Etymology : — Latus, broad; caudatiis, tailed. 



There are two specimens from Fiji in the Macleay Museum, 

 Sydney University, collected by Mr. Archibald Boyd. They 

 measure respectively 248 and 2G0 millimeters. 



OPHICHTHYID^. 



Bascanichthys hbmizona, sp.nov. 



Body terete and slender-, its depth about half the length of the 

 head, which is very small, 61- in the trunk. Snout with rounded 

 profile, twice as long as the small eye, and projecting about 4 of a 

 diameter beyond the lower jaw. Cleft of mouth extending 

 bej'ond the vertical from the posterior border of the eye, its 

 length from the tip of the snout 31 in that of the head. Both 

 jaws with a single series of strong conical teeth, a few of which 

 in front of the lower jaw are recurved and slightly enlarged ; 

 vomerine teeth biserial and strong in front, uniserial and small 

 behind. Gill-opening short, the length of the slit about half the 

 width of the isthmus. Vent well in advance of the middle of the 

 length, its distance from the extremity of the snout being i of 

 the length of the tail. Dorsal and anal fins low; the former 

 commencing on the head, the space between its origin and the 

 gill-opening | of its distance from the extremity of the snout : 

 pectoi'al well developed, its basal width ^ of its length, which is 

 about equal to the gape. Extremity of the tail hard and sharp, 

 its free tip about as long as the diameter of the eye. 



Pale yellow, with twenty-five or twenty-six large purplish-black 

 spots on each side of the dorsal surface; these spots are sometimes 



