374 ON THE CLUPEID^E OF AUSTRALIA. 



apart, the palpebral membrane broader in front than behind, 

 and in part covering the pupil ; upper maxilla without teeth, 

 and reaching to the vertical from the anterior margin of the eye 

 and about 2£ in the length of the head ; the lower jaw scarcely- 

 prominent, the symphysis with denticles more readily felt than 

 seen ; no pterygoid teeth, those on the palate disposed in a long 

 row, and on the tongue in a median line ; prseoperculum obtusely 

 rounded ; operculum smooth, scarcely striated in the middle, in 

 height more than double the breadth, with the inferior margin 

 straight ; the ventral outline conspicuously more convex than 

 the dorsal ; the scales generally transversely striated on the basal 

 part, and longitudinally on the free part, and crenate-fimbriate, 

 numbering about 45 in a longitudinal series from the upper 

 angle of the branchial aperture to the base of the caudal fin, 

 and 11 or 12 in a transverse series under the dorsal fin; belly 

 very knife-shaped and serrated with about 30 spines, becoming 

 less conspicuous with age ; the dorsal fin situated about half-way 

 between the apex of the rostrum and the base of the tail, and 

 its middle third opposite the insertion of the ventrals, it is acute, 

 emarginate, and about half the height of the body, with a scaly 

 sheath at its base; pectorals, acute, about the length of the 

 head without the snout ; ventrals, acute, about half the length 

 of the pectorals ; anal fin much shorter than the head, low, not 

 much higher in front than behind, slightly emarginate and scaly 

 at the base ; caudal fin scaly at the base, profoundly bilobed, the 

 lobes equal and 4 and three-fifths to 5 times in the length of the 

 body ; colour, on the back bluish green, the sides and under 

 surface silvery, rostrum brownish, iris yellow, a broad 

 longitudinal golden fascia along the upper part of each side, 

 fins hyaline or yellow, dorsal fin above, and caudal behind, 

 margined with brown, a small black or blue mark at the anterior 

 base of the dorsal fin." 



This species can be readily distinguished by an ordinary 

 observer, from Cfapea sagax, by its much deeper and more 



