320 DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, 



D. 11/18-19. A. 3/9-10. 



Caudal fin rouDcLed ; dorsal and anal fins much elevated ; upper 

 profile of the head concave. Prtcoperculum finely and equally 

 serrated. Yellowish, all parts with distant round black spots 

 edged with white. 



Port Essington. 



38. Sereaxus armatus, Casteln. 

 Eesearches on the Fishes of Australia, p. 7. 



I give Count Castelnau's description of this Fish in full. It is 

 clearly not a Serranus. 



*'It is with doubt that I make a Serranus of this fish, on 

 account of its dentition. The general form is short and high ; the 

 head is contained a little over three times in the total length, and 

 the diameter of the eye four and a-half times in the length of the 

 head ; the height of the body is about equal to the length of the 

 head ; the teeth are small and villiform on both of the jaws, and 

 on the upper one there are two strong canines on each side in 

 front; on the lower jaw there are two similar canines, and at 

 about half-way to the junction with the upper jaw there is 

 another strong canine ; the teeth of the palate are small but 

 numerous. There are no scales on the maxillary bone ; the head 

 is covered with minute scales ; the prteopercule is rounded and 

 finely denticulated ; the denticulations are rather stronger on the 

 lower edge, and slightly directed forward ; the oj)ercule has a 

 strong, flat spine at its posterior angle ; the scales of the body 

 are of moderate size, three or four times larger than those of the 

 head ; the lateral line runs over about seventy transverse scales, 

 and these number about thirty-five on the transverse line ; these 

 scales are ciliated on the posterior edge ; the dorsal fin is formed 

 of ten spines and twenty rays ; the soft portion of this fin is higher 

 than the other, and the membranes uniting the rays are covered 

 with scales ; caudal large, contained less than six times in the 



