580 REMARKS ON THE TRACIIICIITHYS OF PORT JACKSON, 



REMARKS ON THE TliACHIGHTHYS OF PORT 



JACKSON. 



By J. Douglas-Ogilby, 



Senior-Assistant Zoologist, Australian Museum. 



It having become necessary during the past month that I should 

 examine the Beryciform fishes in the Australian Museum, I took 

 the opportunity to pay special attention to the specimens of 

 Trachichthys therein contained, and as my researches have con- 

 vinced me that there is bu.t one species found in these waters, I 

 think it but right to lay the premises upon which I base my 

 conclusion before this society in order that those who are interested 

 may judge for themselves whether my rejection of T . jachsoniensis 

 as a valid species is justified or not. 



I have at pi'esent available for examination six examples taken 

 in Po)'t Jackson ; they are catalogued as follows : — 



I shall designate each of these specimens by the alphabetical 

 prefix attached thereto. 



The Hon. Wm. Macleay, (Descr. Cat. of Aust. Fishes, Vol. i, 

 p. 146), lays special stress on the greater number of spiniferous 

 ventral plates, which however he allows to be variable (9-11), and 

 in the greater height of the body. I shall endeavour to show in 

 the following paper that these characters are unreliable, and that 

 consequently T. jachsoniensis must sink toa synonym of the original 

 T. australis. 



