XOTES OX AUSTRALIAN AND TASMANIAN FISHES— WAITE. 209 



and formed, each of two stout rays, the inner being the longer, a 

 little more than lialf the length of the head. The caudal is 

 rounded, and the depth of its peduncle 2-5 times in the height of 

 the body. 



Scales. — The scales are scarcely apparent, they are deeply im- 

 bedded, small and widely separated anteriorly, larger and closer 

 together posteriorly. The head is naked but bears a number of 

 large pores, especially developed on the snout, around the eyes, 

 and within the margin of the preopercle. The lateral line is de- 

 veloped anteriorly only, and is placed above the pectoral but does 

 not extend as far as the margin of the fin. 



Colours. — The general colour is brown, lighter beneath. A 

 dark band passes through the eye to the preopercle which latter 

 has no defined edge, being included in the common covering of 

 the head. The lower and posterior portions of the body bear 

 some light marbled markings, which extend on to the anal and 

 caudal fins ; the other fins are without markings. 



Three examples were dredged by Mr. Gabriel, the largest of 

 which measures 102 mm. in length. They are fully adult, the 

 two females carrying young. These can be distinctly seen through 

 the abdominal integument and in one individual numbered thirty- 

 six, each being 12 mm. long. 



The genus Ophiodinus was defined by Castelnau'' in 1873, with 

 0. antarcticufi as the type species. In 1894 Ogilby* described a 

 fish from Queensland under the name 0. devisi and remarked that 

 " the neglect of Castelnau to even mention the pectorals is negative 

 evidence as to their existence in his genus." In his generic 

 definition Castelnau distinctly refers to the pectorals as follows : — 

 " Ventral fins inserted in front of the pectorals," and again in his 

 specific description : — "pectorals much shorter than the ventrals, 

 of ten rays." I have examined the type of 0. devid and find 

 that pectorals are not present, and it follows therefore that it cannot 

 enter Ophiodinus and may tentatively be regarded as the type of 

 Sderopteryx^ a name proposed by De Vis, but which apparently 

 never reached beyond the manuscript stage. Ogilby's definition 

 of Ophiodinus will therefore apply to Hdcropteryx, and not to 

 Castelnau's genus. 



0. yahrieli differs from 0. antarcticus by having two instead of 

 three ventral rays, and by the smaller number of spines and rays 

 in the dorsal and anal fin respectively. 



7 Castelnau — Proc. Zool. Soc. Vict., ii , 1873, p. 69. 



*> Ogilby— Proc Linn. Soc. N S. Wales, (2), ix., 1894, p. 373. 



