192 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



(Plate xxxi.) 

 B. vi.; D. ii., 25; A. iii., U; V. i., 5; P. 18; 0. 15 + 4; L. lat. 

 60 + 21; L. tr. 4 + 17. 

 Length of head, to which the caudal tin is equal 3*2, height of 

 body 3'0 in the total length (caudal excluded). The eye is rather 

 small, 5*6 in the length of the head ; the interorbital space is 

 convex, one-fifth more than the eye diameter ; the snout is 

 longer than the eye, the proportion being as 5 to 3 ; exclusive 

 of the maxilla it equals the eye in length. The upper profile 

 of the head is llat with a marked tumidity on the snout, 

 the dorsal curve is low, that of the ventral even less. The 

 lower jaw is much the longer, the lips are very fleshy and a free 

 flap of skin covers the maxillary and mandibulary bones. The 

 cleft of the mouth approaches the vertical, and the maxilla 

 scarcely reaches the vertical line of the eye; its length is 2-5 in 

 that of the head, it is strongly curved and almost reaches the lower 

 profile. The nostrils are placed high on the snout, the distance 

 between each pair l)eing slightly less than the interorbital space, 

 the anterior aperture is in a tube whose skinny margin is produced 

 backward, the posterior one has a complete but simple margin. 

 The opercles have skinny margins and are unarmed. The junction 

 of the opercle with the subopercle is incomplete, a deep notch 

 being thus formed on the posterior border. Gill rakers rather 

 short and club-shaped, the head of each being set with short spines, 

 there are nine on the lower limb of the first arch. Pseudobranchise 

 present, a slit behind the fourth gill. 



Teeth. — The teeth are in a single series in each jaw, but form a 

 small patch in front, they are stout, conical, and smaller posteriorly. 

 On each side of the patch in the upper jaw is a strong grooved 

 canine, similar teeth exist in the lower jaw, but two or more pairs 

 are developed, each canine being separated by some of the conical 

 ones. A patch of small teeth is found on the vomer but none 

 on the palatines, or the tongue, A number of fleshy villi occur 

 about the anterior teeth. 



Fins. — The dorsal fin commences slightly before the line of the 

 opercle, the two spines are distinguishable as such only by their 

 non-articulated character ; the membrane is not incised and quite 

 continuous with that of the rays. The fin arises low, the second 

 spine being about the length of the eye diameter ; a rapid rise 

 takes place to the fourth ray which is nearly half the length of 

 the head ; the elevation is then slight until the posterior rays are 

 reached, these are greatly elongated the twenty-second being the 

 longe.st, 11 in the length of the head and extending to half the 

 length of the caudal. The anal commences beneath the tenth 

 dorsal ray and is similar to the dorsal, terminating slightly in 

 advance of it, and its longest rays a fifth shorter. The ventrals 

 are close together and placed beneath the base of the pectoral ; 



