BY W. MACLEAY, F.L.S. 615 



Height of body about five times in tbe leng-th ; head three 

 three and two-thirds ; eyes very prominent, nearly united ; 

 anterior profile of head vertical and bilobed ; the superior portion 

 of the upper prolongated into a free angular appendage, the lower 

 portion very large and covering entirely the mouth ; teeth 

 composed of a series of canines apart from one another ; teeth on 

 the vomer and palate. Head scaly ; the first dorsal fin narrow, 

 high and filamentose ; the distance between the two dorsals great ; 

 the ventrals are separate for more than half their length. General 

 colour (in spirits) of a dark slaty-brown, with the lower parts 

 brilliant yellow ; the fins are fringed with yellow, and the anal 

 is entirely of that colour. 



Cape York. Port Darwin. Northern Coasts of Queensland. 

 Attaining a length of 12 inches. 



Genus Eleotkis, Gronov. 



Body subcylindrical, scaly ; head oblong ; eyes of moderate 

 size, lateral, not prominent. Teeth small. Two dorsal tins. 

 Pectoral fins not very muscular at the base ; ventrals not united, 

 but near one another. Gill-openings of moderate width ; five or 

 six branchiostegals ; air-bladder large ; pseudobranchise ; a slit 

 behind the fourth gill. Anal papilla distinct. 



Fresh- waters of all warm latitudes. 



512. Eleotris ophiocephalijs, Cuv. & Yal. 



Gunth., Cat. Fishes III., p. 107.— Journ. Mus. Godeff., Heft. 

 XIIL, p. 185, pi. 112, B. 



D. 6. 1/8. A. 1/7. L. lat. 34-36. Vert. 12/14. 



Twelve series of scales between the origin of the second dorsal 

 fin and the anal. Head entirely scaly, excepting the front part 

 of the snout ; scales on the upper surface of head rather larger 

 than those on the body. Height of body one-sixth of total length, 

 the length of the head one-fourth. Head obtuse, flat, depressed. 



