140 THE PROCEEDINGS OP THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



On Several New Australian (chiefly) Fresh-Water-Fishes. 

 By Count F. de Castelnau, 



I publish here the description of seven species of fishes that seem 

 to me not to have been described before : — 



One, a Cheilodactylus, is from the Melbourne market ; two 

 small sorts, forming I believe a new genus which I name Aristeus, 

 are from fresh water, one being found in the Murrumbidgee and 

 Ropes Creek and the other in the Rockhampton River ; two of 

 Eleotris, one from the Fitzroy and the other from the Brisbane 

 rivers ; an Atherinichthys from a fresh water lagoon connected with 

 the Richmond River, and the last a small fish of the family 

 Siluridce from the Rockhampton River (Fitzroy). 



Six out of the seven are from fresh water. The Australian 

 fishes from this source still are very little known, but I 

 have reason to believe that their number is very considerable. 

 In fact any person collecting even the most common kinds, 

 particularly the small ones, in any river, lake or stream, is almost 

 certain of rendering good service to science. 



Cheilodactylus, rubrofasoiatus. 



Height of body contained a litttle more than three times in 

 total length up to the base of the caudal ; head three times and 

 a half in the same length ; dorsal with seventeen spines, of which 

 the 5th, 6th and 7th are the longest ; the soft portion is 

 formed of twenty-six rays ; this portion is considerably higher 

 than the spinous ; caudal strongly emarginated ; anal with 

 three spines, the first being the shortest, the second strong and 

 arched, the third long and slender, rays nine ; ventrals 

 rather large ; pectorals large, of fifteen rays, the six lower ones 

 being simple, the three upper of these longer than all the 

 other rays ; body and head covered with scales, rough on their 

 external half, those of the body much larger than those of 

 the head ; they number seventeen on the transverse line, and 

 fifty on the longitudinal one ; the colour judged by the 

 stuffed skins, and the report of the Taxidermist who skinned 



