196 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



tion ; the height of the body is 8*6 in the total. The eye is 3 "4 

 in the length of the head and partially concealed by membrane ; 

 the nostril is placed close to its anterior upper margin ; the 

 mouth is small, almost horizontal and the maxilla reaches nearly 

 to below the middle of the eye. 



The dorsal fin commences, as nearly as can be ascertained, 

 above the vent and joins the anal round the end of the tail ; the 

 anal arises at a third of the distance between the vent and the 

 end of the caudal. 



Colours. — The general colour is red with six or seven large 

 purple spots along the middle of each side ; these do not extend 

 posteriorly beyond the origin of the anal fin^ and may not be 

 evenly disposed on both sides. 



Richardson,'^ in describing the gill-opening of C. dorsalis, 

 writes : — "A transverse lip, which rises above the adjoining in- 

 tegument, and has its outer ends free, foi^ms the posterior edge of 

 the orifice, and appears to be capable of closing it very completely 

 when the inflected edge of the membrane is pressed against it." 

 This " lip " is also present in C. rufxs ; it is not a median pro- 

 cess as might be inferred, but really a pair of organs which to my 

 eye are nothing but rudimentary pectoral fins. They lie rather 

 low down on the body, some distance apart, close behind, but 

 quite free from the gill-membranes, and it is very doubtful if they 

 have any function in connection therewith, as supposed by 

 Richardson. 



The specimen above described was forwarded by Mr. Gabriel 

 from Port Phillip, and constitutes a record for Victoria. It is 

 indistinguishable from examples taken in Tasmania and New 

 South Wales, and as far as may be decided, without specimens for 

 comparison, from Richardson's species also. The example 

 recorded by this author from South Victoria Land (Penguin 

 Island, 72° S. Lat.) under the name C. aptenodyhim^ is placed by 

 Dr. Giinther as synonymous with C. dorsalis from N. \\ . 

 Australia. If the species be the same, the extremes of latitude 

 reached, furnish a remarkable instance of geographical range. 



Local examples of this little eel exhibit some colour variations : 

 some are marked as above described, others are intense carmine 

 all over, and a few specimens are similar but mottled with lighter 

 tints. 



•^ Richardson — Voy. Ereb. & Terr , 1845, p. 50, pi. xxx., fig. 1- 

 ■* Richardson — Loc. cif , p. 51. 



