Zoology.-] NATOKAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. IFishei. 



PiATE 27, Fig. 1. 



GENYPTERUS AUSTRALIS (Cast.). 



Australian Rockling. 



[Genus GENTPTERUS (Phillippi) = HOPLOPHTSIS (Kaot.) = XIPHIURUS (Sm.) 

 (Subkingd. Vertebrata. Class Pisces. Order Anacanthini. Fam. Ophidiidae.) 



Gen. Char. — Body elongate, compressed, tapering to a point at posterior end, which is 

 surrounded by the continuation of the dorsal and anal fins, which are long and single ; ventral 

 fins replaced by a pair of bifid filaments ; pectorals small, rounded ; scales small, very numerous ; 

 teeth on the jaws in several rows, the outer row in front much thicker and longer than the 

 others ; row of teeth on the palate-bones and vomer larger than the largest on the jaws j 

 lower jaw shorter than the upper ; vent near middle of body ; branchiostegal rays 7; pseudo- 

 branchis ; an air bladder ; and a small number of pyloric appendages ; gills four.] 



Description. — Rays : branchiostegal, 7 ; anal, 123 to 126 ; dorsal (to centre 

 ray at end of tail), 159 ; ventral filaments with the hind ray longest; pectoral, 19 to 

 21. Scales : along lateral line about 300 (261 to 307) ; vertical rows of scales from 

 front ray of dorsal to lateral line 17, below lateral line 65 to 70. Color: of head 

 and body rich purplish-brown above, with a delicate lilac tint stronger towards the 

 posterior end, irregularly marbled with confluent spots of dark vandyke-brown ; 

 cheeks and upper part of iris with a rich coppery-red bronze tint ; lower part of iris 

 silvery ; lower part of the body and belly yellowish-white without mottling ; dorsal 

 fin dark-purple, mottled like the head and upper part of the body with irregular 

 brown blotches, the extreme narrow margin whitish ; anal fin Ulac at base in front, 

 with a narrow band of brown mottling, and a dull reddish-brown margin, with a 

 narrow white line at the edge ; the posterior portion of the fin becoming darker and 

 entirely mottled like the posterior part of dorsal ; pectoral fin brownish with a lilac 

 tinge, mottled with dark-brown ; throat and filamentous ventrals pale flesh-colored. 

 Operculum terminating in an acute angle at soft posterior margin. Teeth : along 

 upper jaw a row of large thick, conical, strong, outer ones, behind which are two 

 or three irregular rows of very much smaller subequal cardiform ones ; teeth of the 

 palate-bones and vomer forming a nearly continuous single row of large conical 

 teeth, rather larger than the outer ones of upper jaw ; lower jaw with an outer row 

 of larger conical teeth and an irregular inner row of smaller ones. 



Reference. — Cast, Proc. Zool. and Ac. Soc. Vict, v. 1, p. 164;= G. tigerinus, 

 Klunzinger Archiv fiir Naturgeschichte, 1872, p. 39. 



[37] 



