458 NOTES ON. AND DESCRIPTIONS OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, 



Mouth one-tliird longer thaii wide, its greatest width 1.1 in the preoral length; 

 a very short groove extends forward on each side near the posterior angle. Eye 

 1.4 in the width of the third gill-opening, its anterior margin a little farther 

 forward than the front of the mouth. The distance between the front margin 

 of the eye and the end of the snout, measured obliquely, is equal to that from 

 the eye to the first gill-opening. The two posterior gill-openings are above 

 the base of the pectoral, and the last is about three-fourths a^ wide as the third. 

 Upper teeth triangular, verj' oblique laterally, and serrated on both edges; 

 their outer edges are more or less notched, the angle being much greater in 

 those on the sides than near the symphysis. Lower teeth iiaiTow, erect, and 

 more or less obscurely serrated. Scales around the shoulder region armed with 

 three points on their hinder margins, from which three ridges extend forward; 

 they are attached by short three-pronged roots. 



The dorsal fin is midway between the end of the snout and the ba.-<e of 

 the tail, and its hinder angle is produced backward as an acute lobe. The 

 space between the two dorsals is more than three times as great as that separating 

 the hinder base of the second dorsal and the base of the tail; the second dorsal 

 is a little smaller than the anal, and is produced into a sharp point posteriorly. 

 Inner angle of the pectoral not quite reaching the vertical of the origin of the 

 dorsal, and the tip of the tin does not attain the vertical of the hinder angle 

 of the dorsal base -when laid back. Ventrals subquadrangular, a little nearer 

 the anal than the vertical of the first dorsal. Anal originating sUghtly in ad- 

 vance of the vertical of the second dorsal, its posterior angle produced. Caudal 

 a little longer than the space between the posterior angles of the bases of the 

 two dorsals; a pit above an<l below the caudal peduncle. 



Colour. — Grey above, with traces of a narrow darker longitudinid stripe on 

 each side above the lateral line ; white below. The tips of the second dorsal 

 and the lower caudal lobe are darker than the remainder of the fins. 



Described and figured from a female specimen 877 mm. long, from Botany 

 Bay. 



Identity. — Though this specimen differs slightly from the original descrip- 

 tion of C. macruru.s, a comparison with the holotype in the Australian Museum 

 proves it to be correctly identified. Both specimens are about the same size, 

 and they agree in all details which have not been distorted in the type, which 

 is stuffed. 



Status. ~~\N»:\iQ (Rec. Aust. Mus., vi., 3, 190(), p. 2L'(I) has united tliis 

 species witli r. brachi/iirus Giinther, though, as is evident from his remarks, he 

 did not examine either the holotype or any other of the several specimens of C. 

 macrurus which were available to him. The two species appear to differ con- 

 siderably in the length of the snout and the size of the eye. Tn C. macrunts, 

 the preoral length is greater than the width of tlie mouth, and the eye is much 

 more tlian half as wide as the gill-opening. Tn C. hrarhi/urus, according to 

 Giintiier, the preoral length is <'qual to about two-thirds the width of tlic mouth. 

 and the gill-openings are at least twice as wide as the eye. 



It may be noted here that the specimen figured in Waite's paper {Lur. cit.) 

 as C. hrac}n/urw< differs in several details from the descripti(m of that species, 

 and is probably incorrectly identified. 



Localities and Distribution. — The specimen described above was taken in a 

 net at Botany Bay, New South Wales, by Mr. .1. H. Wright, in February, 1921. 

 Several others, including the holotype, are in the Australian Museum from Fort 

 .Tackson. As C. brarhi/urus. the species has been recently recorded from South 

 Australia bv Waite. 



