Zoology.'] NATUEAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Fishes. 



Plate 135, Fig. 1. 



HEMIRAMPHUS INTERMEDIUS (Cant.). 

 The Black-finned Hale-beak or Sea Gar-eish. 



[Genus HEMIRAMPHUS (Cur.)- (Sub-kingdom Vertebrata. Class Pisces. Sub-class 

 Teleostei. Order Physostonii. Family Scomberesocidae.) 



Gen. Char. — Body elongate, slender, compressed. Head elongate; upper jaw short, 

 triangular, convex above, formed of the iuter-maxillaries in the middle and the maxillaries at the 

 sides ; lower jaw prolonged beyond the upper in a loDg slender beak, with a flexible termination 

 representing the lips (lower jaw short in very young individuals) ; lower pharyngeals united 

 into a single bone ; gill-opening very wide. Teeth very minute, in a band of several rows on 

 upper jaw and corresponding portion of base of lower jaw. Scales moderately large, rounded, 

 with a row of much smaller, strongly carinated ones, forming a keel along each side near the 

 ventral margin. Dorsal fin single, opposite the anal fin, and equal to it ; no finlets ; caudal 

 usually moderately forked, with the lower lobe largest ; pectorals moderate, semioval ; ventrals 

 small, near middle of ventral margin. Stomach and intestine straight. No pyloric appendages. 

 Air-bladder large, without pneumatic duct.] 



D. 16 to 17; P. 12 to 13; V. 6; A. 18 to 19; C. ff. Scales 52 to 56, from 

 head to tail. 



Description. — Length of head from tip of beak to edge of operculum slightly 

 less than one-third of the total length to base of caudal. Length of lower jaw 

 beyond tip of upper one slightly more than half the length of head, 5f in total 

 length to base of caudal. Length and width of movable portion of upper jaw 

 nearly equal. Top of head slightly convex; diameter of orbit less than inter-orbital 

 space, and 1§ in the length of post-orbital part of head. Pre-orbital plate about as 

 long as high. Middle of back flattened, very slightly convex. Base of ventrals 

 half way between base of caudal and base of pectoral. Teeth in both jaws minute, 

 tricuspid. Color :. Back pale olive-green, darkest on top of head and towards 

 tail from front of dorsal to caudal fin; terminal portion of lower jaw flesh-red; a 

 broad,- distinct, silvery stripe from top of base of pectoral to middle of base of 

 caudal, having a blue, or emerald-green, or, in some lights, yellowish stripe above it. 

 Sides below the silver band pearly, very pale green, with opaline reflections of blue 

 and pink fading to nearly white on midline of belly and throat. Cheeks and oper- 

 cular pieces brilliant silvery, with opaline blue, green, and pink reflections. Iris 

 silverv, with "Teen and bronze reflections. Pectoral fins dusky or blackish, darkest 

 towards the tip, from crowded, minute, black dots. Ventral nearly colorless, the 

 rays minutely clotted with black. Dorsal and anal fins very pale olive. Caudal 

 brownish-olive, with blackish margin. Measurements : Length of average specimen, 

 from tip of lower jaw to tip of caudal, 1 ft. 4 ins. Proportional measurements : 

 tip of snout to tip of upper jaw, \-%% ; to gape, yW? to anterior edge of orbit, 

 t8$ J t0 posterior edge of orbit, tVjtj to posterior edge of operculum, -n$y5 to base 

 of pectoral, T ; ' ( / s ; to tip of pectoral, ^ ; to base of ventral, -/^ ; to tip of ventral, 

 x 5 ^ ; to front edge of dorsal, y 7 ^ ; to hind edge of dorsal, y^ ; to front edge of 

 anal, -y 7 ^ ; to hind edge of anal, -^\ ; to b.-ise of caudal, f^ ; to middle edge of 

 caudal, -f^ ; greatest depth at middle, T yk ; greatest thickness, ^fa ; height of 

 dorsal, T ^ ; depth of anal, y^ ; space between orbits, T |jj ; diameter of orbit, 

 i 3 (& ; width of base of upper jaw, T ^ ; length of base of upper jaw, -j^. 



Reference. — Cant. An. & Mag. Nat. Hist., 1842, v. 9, p. 485=2/. melanochir, 

 Cuv. & Val., Hist. Nat. des Poiss., v. 19, p. 41. 



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