OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 311 



The spiracle is small, nearly circular, and about half the 

 largest diameter of the orbit beneath the posterior margin of the 

 ey^. The gill openings, five in number, are placed at gradually- 

 decreasing distances apart ; the first is more than twice the 

 length of the fifth. The first dorsal fin takes its rise immedi- 

 ately behind the vertical from the root of the ventrals ; the 

 spine is very strong, blunt, compressed, three-fourths covered 

 with skin, and about one-half the height of the fin to which it is 

 attached ; the fin itself is of a somewhat triangular shape, the 

 anterior edge rather rounded, the summit also rounded, the 

 hinder edge obliquely truncated, and the posterior angle rather 

 pointed and produced. The second dorsal is situated a short 

 distance in advance of the vertical from the anal, and is the 

 exact counterpart of the first dorsal, excepting that it is one- 

 third smaller. The caudal fin is rather short and deep, the 

 antero-inferior lobe is convex on its anterior edge, about the size 

 of the first dorsal, separated from the posterior lobe by a pro- 

 found excavation which is rounded at its base, and with the pos- 

 terior edge of the anterior almost parallel to the anterior edge of 

 the posterior lobe ; this last is small, triangular, and separated 

 almost to the very extremity of the fin from the superior lobe 

 by the prolongation of the vertebral portion. In the adult female, 

 the space between the inferior lobes is more open. The extremity 

 of the tail is obliquely truncate. 



The anal fin is smaller than the second dorsal, but of much 

 the same form ; its apex is distant more than its own length 

 from the commencement of the tail. The pectoral fins are very 

 large, equal in length to one-fifth and in width to one-seventh of 

 the total length of the fish. The ventral fins are nearly square, 

 and are equidistant between the vertical from the first and 

 and second dorsal. 



The skin is roughly shagreened, and has a slightly seri- 

 ceous lustre. The colour in the fresh specimen is reddish- 

 brown above, and yellow with a pinkish tinge beneath. A 

 dark band crosses the inter-orbital space, and extends down 

 the cheeks as far as the plane of the middle of the gill 

 openings; a second dark band commences on the occiput, a 



