Zoology.-] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Fishes. 



Plate 182. 



SILL AGO CILIATA (Cuv. and Val.). 

 The Plain Whiting. 



[Genus SILLAGO (Covier). (Sub -kingdom Vertebrata. Class Pisces. Sub-class 

 Teleostea. Order Acauthopterygii. Family Tracbinidse.) 



Gen. Char. — Body elongate, subcylindrical, moderately compressed ; bead conical ; moutb 

 small, with tbick lips ; upper jaw a little longer than the lower, protrusile ; eyes lateral and a 

 little upwards ; teeth in cardiforra patches on jaws (outer row sometimes longer) and vomer, 

 none on palatines. Operculum witli a sharp posterior spine ; preopercula serrated, approaching 

 each other below. Br.anchiostegal riiys six. Scales of moderate size, ctenoid. Two contiguous 

 dors.als, the first high, of nine to twelve slender spines, the liinder longer but lower. Fectonals 

 moderate ; ventrals thoracic, of one spine and five rays ; anal like second dorsal. Bones of 

 head with wide muciferous ducts. Fseudobranchia;. Air-bladder simple. Pyloric csca few. 

 Red Sea to S. Australia.] 



D. 11 -1- 1/17 ; A. 2 -h 16 ; P. 15 ; V. 1 -I- 5 ; C. 19 ; L.l. 70 ^% (about fourteen 

 rows of additional minute scales on caudal fin). 



Description. — Greatest depth over middle of pectoral in front of dorsal; 

 declining- thence with slight convexity to the thick compressed pedicle of tail; more 

 convexly arched to eye, from whence the profile of the conical compressed head is 

 nearly straight in its downward slope to the very small protrusile mouth, with thick 

 tieshj' lips ; smooth portion of head from eye to maxillary on side with wide shallow 

 muciferous openings and channels; space on top of head nearly flat, very slightly 

 convex, covered with large scales nearly half-way from eye to snout; cheeks, 

 operculum, and preoperculum covered with scales larg-er than on top of head; 

 posterior vertical and horizontal edge of preoperculum serrated ; operculum with 

 one, angular, flat spine a little above base of pectoral. Teeth.- About twelve rows of 

 minute, within the outer row of larger, ones on jaws. Fins : First dorsal hig'h, of 

 eleven slender spines, second longest ; interval between dorsals less than between 

 spines of first dorsal ; second dorsal lower than the first, declining gradually from 

 the first branched ray, which is longer than the spine, to the posterior end ; caudal 

 concave, with thick branched rays ; anal similar in shape to second dorsal, but 

 shorter and less deep; pectoral moderate, triangular; ventrals a little behind base 

 of pectorals. A row of small, oblong, transverse scales behind each spine and ray of 

 dorsal and anal fins. Colour : Back dark brownish-olive with bluish and green 

 reflections, brighest on nape ; pale-brownish on sides, fading into pearly- white along 

 belly and underside of tail; head purplish-brownish; iris white, with yellow border; 

 caudal fin dark brownish-olive, rays lighter, membrane spotted with black, posterior 

 edge and lower edge darkest ; first dorsal nearly colourless, with faint blackish 

 clouds ; second dorsal with six to nine rows of narrow, transverse (fore and aft), 

 oblong, brown marks, with rather wider pale intervals on the membranes ; pectoral 

 pale-yellowish, nearly colourless, with a large purplish-black spot at its base. Ventral 

 and anal fins bright rich kings-yellow. Measiirements : Length of figured specimen, 

 1 ft. 6 in. 6 Hnes. Comparative measurements to length, as 100 : — Tip of snout 

 (protruded) to anterior edge of eye, •^^■, to posterior edge of eye, xws'j to ^''^t ray 

 of dorsal, y^j^^ ; to edge of operculum, Y\yis '■, to first ray of second dorsal, /j-j ; to 

 base of pectoral, ii^; to first ray of ventral, xVtt j ^^ fi''st ray of anal, Z/^; to last 



[ 299 ] 



