332 DESCBIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF ArSTRALIAN FISHES, 



of the length of the head, the distance from the eye to the snout 

 is equal to two diameters, and the interorbital space to one and 

 a-quarter. The profile of the head is straight, but descends to 

 the snout at an angle of 45°, the height of the prseorbital, which 

 is naked, is equal to one and a-half diameter of the eye, the lips 

 are thick, the membrane almost entirely concealing the maxillary 

 bone, which reaches to below the middle of the eye. There are 

 several canine teeth in the lower jaw, no very conspicuous ones 

 in the upper. Praeoperculum very slightly notched, and a little 

 jagged about the angle. Scales large on the body, very small on 

 the caudal and soft dorsal and anal fins. - The fourth dorsal spine 

 longest ; the second anal very strong, not so long as the third ; 

 the middle rays of the soft dorsal rather the longest ; in the anal 

 the first YSijs are the longest, giving it a truncate appearance 

 behind ; the caudal is slightly emarginate ; the pectorals reach 

 almost to the vent, and beyond the extremity of the ventrals. 

 The colour (in spirits) is on the upper parts of the head and 

 body of a bluish silvery hue, with a vertical pearly mark on each 

 scale and on the lower parts of a beautiful rosy pink, (in the 

 fresh state the whole body was more or less pink). Length 

 eighteen inches. 

 Eockingham Bay. 



I am indebted to Mr. Haswell, the Director of the Brisbane 

 Museum, for a specimen of this very beautiful fish, it is said to 

 be from fresh-water. 



Grenus Neomesopeion, Casteln. 

 A genus formed by Count Castelnau for a species of Mesoprion 

 having only nine spines in the dorsal fin. 



66. Neomesoprion unicolor, Casteln. 

 Eesearches on the Fishes of Australia, p. 8. 

 '' The body is oval, high ; the upper profile strongly convex ; 

 the height is contained a little over twice and a-half in the total 



