Zoology.] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Fishes. 



These beautiful and curious fishes are found occasionally after 

 strong south winds on the Brighton shore in summer in the shallow 

 pools in the rocks. They are very soft and extensible, blowing them- 

 selves up like a balloon, as the Diodon does, when alarmed. The 

 pedunculated pectoral and ventral fins look to the popular observer 

 like fore feet or legs, and are used like them for moving amongst 

 sea-weed, in which they crawl like toads ; the very small gill- 

 aperture, opening on the arm-pit of the pectoral fins, keeping the 

 gills moist for so long a time that they seem almost amphibious in 

 the habit of moving about out of the water between the tides. 



This species has not been figured before. 



Explanation or Figures. 



Plate 123.— Fig. 1, side view of average specimen, natural size. Fig. la, magnified view 

 of mouth, to show rows of minute teeth on jaws and palatine bones. Fig. 16, eye, magnified, 

 to show radiating arrangement of color and form of tentacles. Fig. lc, bifurcate anterior 

 filament, magnified, showing the small, middle lobe on anterior aspect. Fig. Id, ditto, seen from 

 behind, to show the larger, posterior median lobe. Fig. le, tentacle, magnified. Fig. \f, top of 

 third dorsal spine, magnified, to show form of cluster of tubercles. Fig. \g, second dorsal spine, 

 magnified, to show tubercular tip and branching filaments. Fig. \h, filaments and tubercules 

 of ventral surface. 



Frederick McCoy. 



[89] 



