552 DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, 



Family XIX. COEYPHJENID^. 



Scombroid fishes with, one long dorsal fin, without distinct 

 spinous division, and without teeth in the oesophagus. 



Genus Coeyph.exa, Cuv. & Yal. 



Body compressed, rather elongate ; adults with an elevated 

 crest on the skull ; cleft of the mouth wide. A single dorsal fin, 

 extending from the occiput nearly to the caudal fin, which is 

 deeply forked ; no distinct dorsal and anal spines ; the ventral 

 fins are well develojped and can be received partly in a groove in 

 the abdomen. Scales very small. Cardiform teeth in the jaws, 

 on the vomer and the palatine bones ; a patch of villiform teeth 

 on the tongue. Branchiostegals seven ; pseudobranchia^ and 

 air-bladder absent. Pyloric appendages exceedingly numerous. 



Pelagic Fishes. 



388. CoRYPH^NA prxcTULATA, Cuv. & Yal. 



Gunth., Cat. Fishes II., p. 408. 



D. 51. A. 25. 



The height of the body is nearly equal to the length of the 

 head, and one-fourth of the length of the body without the caudal 

 fin. The ten or twelve posterior rays of the dorsal and anal fins 

 have their extremities dilated and projecting beyond the 

 membrane, by which tLey are connected at the base. Silvery, 

 darker on the back, with scattered black dots. (Cuv.) 



Port Jackson. 



One specimen in the Australian Museum, perhaps not C. 

 pimctulata, but seems to resemble that species most. 



Genus Beama, Eisso. 

 Body compressed and more or less elevated, covered with rather 

 small scales; cleft of the mouth very oblique, with the lower jaw 

 longest. Dorsal and anal fins elongate, the former with three or 



