120 NOTES AND DESCRIPTIONS OP SOME PORT JACKSON FISHES, 



stronger than those at either side ; those at the angle small. Two 

 spines on the lower limb, of equal size, and distant one from the 

 other. Two flattened opercular spines, of which the upper is the 

 larger. The posterior extremity of the maxillary extends to 

 beneath the hinder margin of the orbit. Lower jaw the longer ; 

 it has three pairs of canines at its front angles, two pairs behind ; 

 upper jaw with two pairs on the angles of inter-maxillary; they 

 but little exceed the ordinary teeth in length. Dorsal spines a 

 little lower than the rays, increasing in length to the fourth, which 

 is the longest, g of the body below it ; the fin is deeply notched, 

 the last spine being its own length shorter than the first i-ay. 

 Second anal spine very strong, | of the longest ray, and | of the 

 body above it. Caudal slightly rounded. 



Colors red ; four broad black transverse bands on the body ; 

 the first commencing between the fifth and seventh dorsal spines, 

 and terminating a short distance in front of the vent ; the second 

 between the anterior rays of the soft dorsal and anal ; the third 

 from the last dorsal rays to immediately behind the anal ; and the 

 fourth in front of the base of the caudal : the bands are of equal 

 breadth with the interspaces. The head and nape are suffused 

 with dusky blotches, which almost form an irregular longitudinal 

 band on the occiput. The soft posterior lobe of the operculum 

 broadly margined with gold. Fins bright scarlet, all except the 

 ventrals blotched with dull yellow. 



Our specimen which measures a little more than 10 inches, is a 

 female, and has the ova, which are small and numerous, in a 

 forward stage of development. The stomach contained the 

 partially digested remains of an Atherina. It was caught in Port 

 Jackson on the 20th o^ February. 



With regai'd to the determination of our example as the " Plec- 

 tropome rouge et noir " of Cuvier and Valenciennes, it should be 

 noticed that these authors mention 5 bands on the sides, as also do 

 Quoy and Gaimard, who figure their specimen in the " Voyage de 

 1' Astrolabe "; nor does either figure or description shew anything 

 of the dark markings on the head, so conspicuous in our form ; 

 and in addition to these distinctions in color, the spines on the 



