STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN FISHES — MCCULLOCH 369 



Height 3-3j in the length to the hypural and equal to or 



a little more than the length of the head including the opercular 

 flap. Eye 2 in the snout in adults and 6 in the head, much 

 larger in the young. Breadth of caudle peduncle l-, s „ in the 

 head. 



Body moderately elongate, compressed, covered with rather 

 large scales which extend on to the hases of the dorsal, anal 

 and caudal fins. Cheeks with 4-5 rows of scales below the eye 

 and 2 behind it ; operculum covered with large irregular scales, 

 head otherwise naked. Preorhital much broader than the eye, 

 almost equal to the interorbital space. A pair of strong, 

 widely separated canines in front of the upper jaw, and two 

 pairs in the lower ; sides with a single series of smaller canine- 

 like teeth which decrease in size backwards, and a second inner 

 series anteriorly. Posterior canine present or absent. Nostrils 

 close together, near the supero-anterior angle of the eye ; the 

 anterior tubular, posterior rounded. Lateral line slightly 

 arched antei-iorly, then following the curve of the back to the 

 end of the dorsal, where it bends down to the middle of the 

 caudal peduncle. 



Dorsal fin commencing above the hinder half of the oper- 

 culum ; the spines increasing in length backwards, the last 

 about three in the head, and each topped by a prolongation of 

 the membrane. Soft portion of the fin angular behind, the 

 anterior rays a little longer than the posterior, about 2^ in the 

 head. Anal similar to, and terminating almost evenly with the 

 dorsal. Pectoral 1| in the head, the upper rays longest, the 

 margin rounded. Ventrals pointed, either the first or second 

 rays the longest and reaching almost to the vent or some distance 

 short of that point. Caudal truncate, the outer rays either 

 rounded off or slightly produced. 



Colour. — Adult specimens greenish or reddish, with or with- 

 out about six indistinct darker cross-bands. Seven broad bars 

 extend across the head and on to the anterior half of the body 

 which are arranged as follows : two from the occiput to above 

 the lateral line ; one from the snout passing through the eye to 

 below the lateral line, and a short one between it and the 

 pectoral fin ; two from the angle of the mouth, the upper one 

 passing through the eye, and the lower across the angle of the 

 preoperculum ; an intermediate one from the preoperculum to 

 the base of the pectoral. Two similar bars connect the eyes 

 across the interorbital space. A large black spot is present 



