68 REC0ED3 OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



B. Scales minute; bran chiostegals six or seven. (Schedophilus) 



a. Lateral line smooth; ventral fins with five soft rays, inserted 

 in front of the base of the pectorals IS. medusophagus. 



C. Scales absent ; branchiostegals six (Icosteus). 



a. Lateral line armed with groups of small spines ; ventral 

 fins with four soft rays, inserted behind the base of the 

 pectorals /. enigmaticus. 



In the above synopsis I have been obliged to place S. hertheloti 

 along with S. lockingtoni and S. maculatus, because of the com- 

 paratively large -size of the scales — as shown in Dr. Steindachner's 

 figure — in comparison with those of iS". medusophagus, as pourtrayed 

 in Dr. Giinther's figure, and as were present, if my memory serve 

 me, in my Irish example of that species. 



Schedophilus maculatus. 



Schedophilus maculatus, Gnth. Catal, Fish. ii. p. 412, 1860, and 



Journ. Mus. Godefi'r. Fisch. p. 148, 1876. 

 Schedophilus marmoratus, Kner, SB. Ak. Wien, liv. p. 366, 



1866. 

 B. vii. D. 9/27. A. 3/23. V. 1/5. P. 19. 0.17. L. lat. 105. 



L. tr. 22/47. 



Length of head equal to its height at the hinder margin of the 

 orbit, and 3-33 in the total length (without caudal); height of body 

 2 '20 in the same. Eye large, with the supraorbital ridge well de- 

 veloped and overhanging, its diameter 3 '10 in the length of the 

 head, and equal to the interorbital space, which is almost fl.at ; snout 

 very short and obtuse, its length 1-50 in the diameter of the eye. 

 Jaws equal : cleft of mouth moderate and oblique, the maxilla 

 reaching to the vertical from the middle of the eye. Upper 

 profile of the head rising almost vertically from the premaxillaries, 

 thence sloping to the occiput, which, with the nape, is strongly 

 convex, and compressed into a moderately sharp ridge. Both 

 limbs of the preopercle armed with strong spines, those at the 

 angle being the longest, and having their extreme tips curved 

 upwards ; those on the vertical limb straight, but directed 

 dorsally : sub and interopercles spiniferous, the spines of the 

 latter more strongly developed. Body oblong-ovate, and strongly 

 compressed. A single series of small, rather distant, hooked 

 teeth in the jaws. The dorsal tin commences above the margin 

 of the bony opercle ; its nine anterior rays are distinctly spinous; 

 the last the highest, a little higher than the diameter of the eye ; 

 beyond the spinous portion the rays increase gradually in height 

 to the middle of the fin, from whence they descend as gradually 

 to the last, which is five sixths of the ninth spine, the outer 



