68 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



Specimens 22 mm. in length present a most gorgeous appear- 

 ance, being of brilliant orange colour, tempered on the upper part 

 of the body by numerous black dots, which are much lai'ger in 

 the space between the dorsal and anal fins. Three broad dark- 

 edged blue lines I'un from the head backwards ; the first arises on 

 the snout, behind the upper lip, where it is connected with its 

 fellow on the other side, and skirts the profile to the anterior 

 dorsal spines ; the second, indicated in front of the eye, passes 

 across the upper part of the eyeball and above the lateral line 

 to a large black blue-edged ocellus, which occupies the last six 

 spines and portion of the back beneath ; the third runs from the 

 corner of the mouth, below the eye, across the opercle, and is 

 continued as a dot above the basal portion of the pectoral fin. 

 There may also be two or three similar dots between the pectoral 

 and the caudal. A large dark spot is also present on the upper part 

 of the caudal peduncle. The spinous dorsal fin is reddish, with a 

 blue margin, the bases of the soft dorsal and anal are oi-ange, the 

 remaining portion and of the pectoral and caudal hyaline. 

 Ventral fin orange, the first, elongate, ray and the anterior edge 

 of the anal black. This stage is illustrated in fig. 1. 



Somewhat larger examples were identified by Bennett with 

 Glyphisodon biocellatus and by the writer with G. hrownrigciii. 



In a much later stage, represented by examples measuring 72 

 mm. in length, the dorsal stripes are relatively much narrower and 

 are broken, the lowermost being indicated by dots only, the 

 ocellus is more restricted in area, being confined to the last two 

 spines. A white patch is present on the opercle and numerous 

 blue spots occur on the hinder half of the body and soft dorsal 

 and caudal fins. The general colour is darker than in younger 

 specimens, this being most noticeable in the ventral and anal fins, 

 which are of greenish-black hue. This phase is represented in 

 fig. 2, and approaches the specimens named Parnm )nicroh'j>is by 

 Giinther. 



The adult, which attains a length of 160 mm., is wholly black, 

 with the exception of the white opercular patch which is per- 

 sistent. Traces of the dorsal ocellus and supra-caudal blotch may 

 also exist. 



The adult is represented in fig. 3, and sucli examples owe to 

 Giinther the name Parma squamiplnniti. 



Chief among the changes incident to growth may be mentioned 

 the increased depth of the body, the reduced size of the eye and 

 the nari'owing of the preorbital. 



