Zoology.} NATURAL HISTORY OK VICTORIA. IFishea. 



Plate 163. 



LABRICHTHYS LATICLAVIUS (Rich, sp.). 

 The Broad-striped, or Senator, Parrot-eish. 



[Genus LABRICHTHYS (Blebkee). (Sub-kingdom Vertebrata. Class Pisces. Sub-class 

 Teleostea. Order Acanthopterygii. Sub- order Pharyngognathi. Family Labrid*,) 



Gen. Char. — Body moderately compressed, oblong ; snout narrow, projecting ; scales large ; 

 operculum scaly, cheeks more or less scaly ; preoperculum not serrated. Lateral line con- 

 tinuous. Teeth sharp, conical, in one or two rows in upper jaw, usually 1 or 2 large canine 

 teeth on each side in front, and often a large, conical, posterior canine tooth at angle of mouth 

 in upper jaw. Fins, 9 spinous and 11 branched rays in dorsal, and 3 spinous and 10 branched 

 in anal. Pacific and Indian Archipelago.] 



D. 9 -f 11 ; V. 1 + 5j P. 12; A. 3 + 10; L. lat. 26^. 



Description. — Body moderately slender, depth about 3£ in total length, 

 including- caudal. Head with convex profile, small, about one-fourth of total leng-th, 

 including caudal ; top of head and cheeks set with coarse, perforated granules, 

 scattered above, but running into nearly vertical, branched ridges below; a sub- 

 vertical row of 6 or 7 large scales, rather nearer the edge of the preoperculum than 

 the ej-e, extending from about the level of top of e3'e, curving forward below to about 

 level of corner of mouth ; a row of 13 rapidly decreasing, conical teeth in upper jaw, 

 the first (or canines) twice as large as the next; a conical canine, nearly as large as 

 the front one, projecting outwards and forwards from corner of mouth ; a second 

 row of smaller and more numerous teeth within the outer row ; a similar row of 

 eleven decreasing from the large front canine in lower jaw ; two vertical rows of 

 large, rounded scales on anterior part of operculum, with one or two forming an 

 imperfect third row; posterior membranous margin of operculum forming a nariow, 

 rounded, smooth lobe, forming two sides of an isosceles triangle from upper junction ; 

 gill-opening large, curved. Scales of body large, rounded, thin-edged, with fine, 

 granular, flexous, radiating strice, strongest at middle; those of lateral line with 

 from 4 to 8 flexuous, dicbotomous, branching tubes, set with porous granules, the five 

 last running to middle of tail from level of last dorsal ray, one scale's width lower 

 than anterior ones; 26 scales along lateral line, 3 above and 10 below.; no scales on 

 dorsal fin. Fins'.- Spinous part of dorsal of 9 spines, slightly less elevated than the 

 posterior portion, of 11 branched rays; ventral rhomboidal, acuteW pointed, from 

 second branched ray being longest, 1 spinous and 5 branched rays ; pectoral obtusely 

 rounded, of 12 rays; anal of 3 short spinous, and 10 longer, branched, rays slightly 

 increasing, so that the last is longest; caudal sub-truncate, obtusely rounded. 

 Colour: Body, back and cheeks rich sap-green, with 3 broad, bright, purplish, chestnut 

 madder bands, one from temple behind the eye to the end of the caudal ; a second, 

 wider, from angle of operculum joins the upper one about 3 rays from vertical of end 

 of dorsal; and a third, broadest, occupies the lower part of body over anal and 

 low^er portion of tail, connected with the middle one by a large blotch of same colour 

 at anterior portion of anal ; each of these stripes is edged by a narrow interrupted 

 line of ultramarine-blue. Throat and belly in front of anal purplish-white, with 

 longitudinal, broken, flexuous lines of pale yellow and blue; head with long, flexuous 



Vol. II.— Decade XVII.— 2)i. [ 237 ] 



