Zoology.'] 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. 



[Fishes. 



straight, posterior angle rounded ; front edge of first dorsal slightly in front of, 

 and vertically over the posterior base of pectorals, trapezoidal, front margin rounded, 

 about as long as from its base to acute posterior angle ; hind edge obliquely trun- 

 cated, concave; second dorsal about one-third smaller than the first, of the same 

 shape, origin behind the base of the ventrals, and terminating in front of anal, nearer 

 to anal; anal more than the length of its inner margin in front of caudal, similar 

 in form to second dorsal, but smaller ; caudal obliquely truncated, with its lower 

 part divided into two lobes by a deep quadrate notch, upper lobe separated from the 

 lower by the end of the body; ventrals trapezoidal, nearly equidistant between the 

 first and second dorsals. Spines in front of dorsal fins strong, basal two-thirds 

 covered with skin, exposed point smooth, compressed, triangular in section, reaching 

 about half the height of the fin, growing thicker with age. Skin with the shagreen 

 points irregularly cruciform on back and sides, globular on throat and on lower tip 

 of pectorals. Color: Reddish-brown above, pinkish-yellow below; a dark brown 

 band crosses top of head and eyes passing down cheeks towards corner of mouth ; 

 a broad brown band runs along middle of back from occiput to first dorsal, then 

 dividing obliquely outwards and backwards to upper surface of ventral fins, and 

 giving off a branch to the pectorals, inclosing a light, triangular space over posterior 

 base of pectorals; another dark medial band extends along back from anterior dorsal 

 on each side of second dorsal to tail ; pectorals and ventrals blackish-brown above, 

 pinkish on edge below; dorsal and anal fins lighter; iris greenish-brown. (The 

 brown dark bands are most distinct on the young, nearly or quite obsolete on the 

 old, and invisible on stuffed or spirit specimens.) The caudal fin is relatively larger' 

 in young than in old individuals. 



Measurements. 



[ 54 J 



