440 ON A NEW GENUS OF FISHES FROM PORT JACKSON, 



This Fish is clearly one of the Cirrhitidce, but differs in a marked 

 degree from all the genera included in that Family of the Perches. 

 Its closest relationship however, is to Chilodactylus, a genus which 

 is represented by numerous species on our Coasts, and which with 

 its congeners the Trumpeters (Latris) are I think about the best 

 food Fishes the sea provides us with. The most striking generic 

 distinctions are to be found in the elongate almost cylindrical form 

 of the body, and the bald head, Chilodactyhis being of compressed 

 form and having scaly cheeks. 



PSILOCRANIUM COXII. n. Sp. 



D. 16/25. A. 3/10. L. lat. 46. L. tr. 4/10. 

 The height of the body at the highest part immediately behind 

 the head, is less than one-fifth of the total length, the length of 

 the head is about the same. The head is convex between the 

 eyes ; the eyes are large, situated about the middle of the length of 

 the head, and about two of their diameters apart, the snout is 

 convex, rounded and somewhat tumid at the extremity, the 

 mouth is rather small, the lips very thick and fleshy, the maxillary 

 does not nearly reach half-way to the eye, the intermaxillary is very 

 protractile, the lower lip has a large fleshy fold beneath, and when 

 the mouth is shut is received completely within the upper jaw 

 The only teeth are a band of fine villiform teeth in both jaws. 

 The head is covered with a smooth soft skin, the side of the 

 operculum is rough with small scales embedded in the skin, which 

 extend towards the back part of the orbit. The lateral line is 

 straight and situated near the back along its whole length. The 

 scales of the body are large, thin, smooth edged and of an oblong 

 square form. The dorsal fin is moderately notched, the seventh 

 spine is the longest, being about 2^- times in the height of the 

 body, the soft dorsal gets gradually lower towards the tail, the 

 caudal fin is large, broad, and deeply bilobed, the third anal spine 

 is longer than the others, and is half the length of the first ray, the 

 rays get shorter after the second, the pectorals have five simple 

 rays, the upper, one-sixth longer than the next to it, extends to 

 the tenth scale of the body. 



