FISHES. MCCULLOCH. 187 



smaller specimens, which also have the preorbital narrower 

 in relation to the eye. The young have a dark bar on the 

 cheek similar to that sho^vn in Bleeker's figure of G. microdon} 

 and the occiput and snout are also dark ; some dark obhque 

 bars and spots are present on the body scales. These 

 markings are largely lost in the adult. 



Loc. — Twenty miles off Bustard Head, Queensland, 20 

 fathoms. 



Family OPLEGNATHID^. 



Genus Oplegnathus, Richardson. 



Oplegkathus woodwardi, Waite. 



(Plate hv.) 



Hoflegnathus woodwardi, Waite, Rec. Austr. Mus., iii., pt. 7, 

 1900, p. 212, pi. xxxvii. 



'^. Hoplegnathus australis, Regan, Ann. Durban Mus., i., 

 pt. 3, 1916, p. 169. 



Variation. — A fine series of eleven specimens, 90-455 mm. 

 long, shows that this species varies considerably with growth 

 in both proportions and colour-marking. The smallest ex- 

 ample, which is figured, is much deeper than the large one 

 figured by Waite, and has longer fin-rays and spines. The 

 following are the jjroportions of the smallest and largest 

 specimens respectively. Depth 1.8-2.4 in the length to the 

 hypural joint ; head 2.7-3.1 in the same. Eye 3.0-4.1 in the 

 head. Seventh dorsal spine 1.4-1.9, and second dorsal ray 

 1.4-2.3 in the head. The ventral fins reach to the base of 

 the second anal ray in the young, but fall far short of the 

 vent in adults. The smaller specimens have the preopercular 

 angle finely serrated, but it is usually entire in the larger 

 ones, while the upper portion of the operculum is denticulated 

 in adults and somewhat variable in form. 



The disposition of the colour-marking is similar in the 

 young and the adult, but the bands are much broader and 

 more extensive in the smaller specimens, and are deep black 

 instead of brown. One example 367 mm. long differs from 

 the others in having the ground-colour very dark, and broken 

 lap by numerous irregular hght bars and spots. 



Synonymy. — H. australis, Regan, is based upon a large 

 Tasmanian specimen, sixteen inches long, which differs from 

 mine of similar size in having the body half as deep as long, 



1. Bleeker — Atlas Ichth., vii., 1872, pi. cccvii. 



