164 RECORDS OP THE ACSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



Hyperlophns sprattellides, Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.Wales, 

 xxii., 1897, p. 71, and Mem. Qld. Mus., v., 1916, p. 98. 

 LI, Waite, Mem. N.S.Wales Nat. Club, 1904, p. 13. LI, 

 Stead, Ed. Fish. N.S.Wales, 1908, p. 27. 



Hyperlophns (Omochefiis) copii, Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. 

 Wales, xxii., 1897, p. 72, and Ann. Qld. Mus., No. 9. 

 1908, p. 5, and Proc. Roy. Soc. Qld., xxi., 1908, p. 24. 

 LI, Waite, Mem. N.S.Wales Nat. Club, 1904, p. 13. 



Diplomystns vittatns, Zietz,i Ti-ans. Roy. Soc. S. Austr., xxxii., 

 1908, p. 295,— »07H.. nud. 



Synonymy. — Tlie possible identity of MeJetta viftata, 

 Castelnau, and Hyperlopli us sprattellides, Ogilby, was suggested 

 by the latter author in 1893, but for reasons which are ap- 

 parently invalid, he retained his own name in preference to 

 the earlier one of Castelnau. As it seems probable that the 

 two names refer to the same species, I have adopted the name 

 vittata.^ 



Having compared the typical specimens of H. sprattelh'des 

 and H. copii, together with numerous other specimens in the 

 Australian Museum collection, I regard the two forms as mere 

 variations of the one species. The typical example of H. 

 sprattellides (Fig. 2j is much deeper than any other I have 

 /Seen, but its depth is exaggerated as a result of lateral 

 compression which, in these fishes, follows upon preservation 

 in alcohol. The type of //. copii (Fig. 1) on the other hand, 

 is much more slender ; it was fixed in formaline, and has re- 

 tained its natural form better. My series shows the depth to 

 be somewhat variable, as is also the exact position of the ven- 

 tral fins in relation to the snout and the base of the caudal fin. 

 As all the other characters appear to be identical in the two 

 forms, there seems no reason to retain them as distinct species, 

 and certainly not as distinct subgenera. The identity of the 

 two forms has been recently recognised by Ogilby. 



1 A specimen received for examination from Mr. Edgar R. Waite, 

 Director of the South Australian Museum, is evidently the example on 

 which this name is based. Though associated with a different M.S. 

 name, the data on its label tallies with that published by Zietz, being as 

 follows, — " Encounter Bay, March '86. Cast up on the beach." The 

 specimen does not differ from the type of H. sprattellides. 



- Ogilby also regarded M. vitlata, Castelnau, as i)ossibly identical 

 with the common Fresh-water Herring, Potamalosa, but it is readily 

 distinguished from that fish by the relative positions of the dorsal and 

 ventral fins. 



