Zoology.] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Fishes. 



Plate 114. 



TRACHICHTHYS AUSTRALIS (Shaw). 



Australian Rough Fish. 



[Genus TRACHICHTHYS (Shaw). (Sub-kingdom Vertebrata. Class Pisces. Sub- 

 class Tcleostei. Order Acanthopterygii. Family Berycidas.) 



Gen. Char. — Ovate, compressed ; muzzle very short, scmioval ; cleft of mouth oblique ; 

 chin projecting a little in front of upper jaw ; eye very large ; teeth very fine, villiform on 

 jaws, palatines, and vomer. Eight branchiostegal rays. A very long, strong spine extending 

 backwards from supra-scapula ; a small triangular one on upper margin of operculum, and a 

 large one on basal angle of preoperculum ; scales semielliptical, roughly granular, serrated at 

 edge, and with upper and lower ends of anterior edge prolonged into flat, smooth, triangular 

 spines on covered portion ; scales of lateral line not larger than adjacent scales ; a row of very 

 large compressed scajes forming a strongly serrated edge to abdomen. One dorsal ; ventral 

 with six rays ; caudal forked. Australasia.] 



Description. — Height of body about once and three-fourths in total length 

 from chin to base of caudal ; dorsal and ventral outlines from tip of snout to level 

 of dorsal fin, forming two nearly similar curves, the dorsal higher. Head semi- 

 elliptical ; diameter of eye two and a half in length of head ; mouth reaching under 

 middle of eye, supra-maxillary reaching to vertical of hind edge of orbit; posterior 

 nostril vertical, ovate, close to anterior edge of orbit; 2 lateral and 1 narrow, mesial, 

 smooth, vertical bands on forehead, middle widening into a cordate space above ; 

 intermediate spaces and all the bones of the head and the 4 lower branchiostegal 

 rays rough with close, irregularly arranged, spinose granules, without distinct 

 radiated arrangement ; supra-scapular spine very large, rough, with spinose granules 

 passing to flexuous ridges at point; a broad, flat, very obtuse, triangular spine on 

 upper margin of operculum, and a longer, stronger, and more acute, triangular, 

 flattened spine at basal angle of preoperculum. Teeth : A broad band of very 

 numerous, very minute, villiform teeth on upper and lower jaws, an ovate band of 

 similar teeth on each palatine bone, and a round patch of the same on the vomer. 

 Scales : 65 from operculum to base of caudal, and 24 from dorsal to ventral ; 

 rhomboidal, twice as high as long, those of lateral line not conspicuously larger than 

 the adjacent ones; 12 very large between bases of ventral fins and anus, forming a 

 strongly serrated keel to abdominal edge, the first anterior one obtuse, the others 

 progressively more compressed and prominent ; all the scales strongly pectinated on 

 hind edge, and rough with spinulose granules. Lateral line indistinct, descending 

 from under base of supra-scapular spine, with a slight curve to middle of tail. Fi?is : 

 Dorsal, with 4 spines (the first little larger than a scale), and 11 broad branched rays, 

 the first branched ray highest, the others rapidly shorter, the 6 latter nearly equal, 

 and half the height of the triangular anterior portion; anal with 3 spines and 10 

 branched rays (2 last with one base), the 6 hind rays lower than the 3 anterior ones, 

 first longest ; caudal deeply bilobed, notch angular, lobes semioval, with 6 shorter 

 rays above and 5 below, simple; 9 above and 7 below, thick, flat, branched ; pectorals 



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