Zoology.] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Fishes. 



Plate 194. 



TRACHINOPS CAUDIMACULATUS (McCoy). 

 The Blotch-tailed Trachinops. 



[Genus TRACHINOPS (Gunth.). ( Sub-kingdom Yertebrata. Class Pisces. Sub-class 

 Teleostea. Order Acanthopterygii. Family Nanclidaj. Sub-family Plcsiopiua.) 



Ge?^. Char. — Body oblong, moderately compressed ; mouth obtusely rounded, not protractile; 

 none of the plates of the head serrated. Teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatine bones. Tongue 

 smooth; scales of moderate size, rounded, ctenoid .it margin,* lateral line interrupted near end 

 of dorsal fin. Dors.al and anal fins long; fourteen spines in dorsal, three in anal ; ventral fins 

 thoi'acic, with one spine and four branched rays, not elongate; caudal fin pointed, with the 

 middle rays prolonged in fil.aments. Five brancliiostegals ; gills three and a half; pseudo- 

 branchia}; gill-membrane not united below the throat; pyloric appendages few. Australia.] 



D. 14 + 17; A. 3 + IG; P. 16; V. I + i; C. 24; L.l. 45 + 12. 



Description. — Oblong, narrow, moderately compressed ; length of head slightly 

 greater than the depth of the body, and slightly more than four times in total length, 

 excluding caudal fin; the depth of the body diminishes little till beyond the dorsal 

 and anal fins, greatest deptii near end of pectoral fin about one-fifth of total length, 

 excluding caudal ; interorbital space convex, smooth, without scales, less than 

 diameter of orbit, with a few rows of large, prominent pores; snout obtuse, about one- 

 half diameter of orbit; cleft of mouth wide, oblique; maxillary extending a little 

 beyond middle of eye ; lower jaw slightly longer than upper one. Teeth small, 

 pointed along the jaws, three or four larger than the rest on each side near the 

 front; two rows forming a long patch on each palate bone, and two rows forming a 

 short, transverse, arched patch on the vomer, nearly joining ends of palatine patches. 

 Gill-openings wide. Scales on cheeks and operculum moderate, tliose on nape 

 between anterior ends of lateral lines and over lateral line at base of dorsal very small. 

 Lateral line is in two disconnected portions, one of forty-five tubular scales, rising 

 fi'om head to close below dorsal, extending to the thirty-fifth row of scales, where that 

 fin ends; the posterior portion of twelve similar scales occupies the middle of the 

 sides of the tail on the twelve posterior rows of scales; three rows of scales having 

 both the overla])ping portions of the interrupted lateral line. Scales of body of 

 moderate size, roundea, finely serrated at posterior edge; along lateral line about 

 forty-seven, two small scales above and seventeen large below it at vertical of base 

 of pectoral. Fins: Pectoral fin of sixteen branched rays, oval, about one-fifth shorter 

 than head. Ventral of one spine and four branched rays, about one-fifth shorter than 

 the pectoral, a little in front of which it arises. Dorsal of fourteen spines and seventeen 

 jointed rays, low to end of spinous portion, then higher to near the end which is 

 rounded by a shortening of the three last rays ; greatest depth of soft dorsal a little 

 less than deptii of body at base ; spinous portion rather less than half the depth of 

 body at base. Anal fin of three spines and sixteen soft rays, not so deep as soft 

 dorsal. Caudal of twenty-four rays, angularly pointed behind, the three middle rays 

 extending as filaments one-quarter longer than the rest of the fin. Colour: Back 

 dark-brown, becoming lighter and purplish on sides ; scales minutely dotted with 

 black; a large, blackish blotch at base of tail, from which five or six middle rays 



* See remarks further on. 



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