21. RHOMBOSOLEA. 459 



very small, cycloid ; lateral line straight. Gill-openings narrow, the 

 gill-membranes being broadly united below the throat ; gill-rakers 

 short, conical. 



Coasts of New Zealand, Australia, and Van Diemen's Land. 



1. Rhombosolea monopus. 

 B. 5. D. 59. A. 42. 



The height of the body is contained once and four-fifths in the total 

 length (without caudal), the length of the head thrice and two-thirds. 

 Eyes separated by a naked space, the width of which is less than the 

 vertical diameter of the eye ; the lower eye is slightly in advance of 

 the upper. Snout as long as the eye, the diameter of which is one- 

 fifth of the length of the head. The maxillary of the right side ex- 

 tends to below the anterior margin of the eye ; teeth in narrow bands. 

 Jaws equal in front : the upper lip has a slight notch, in which the 

 symphysis of the lower jaw is received. The cutaneous fold above 

 the maxillary is not prolonged. The giU-opening does not extend 

 upwards beyond the base of the pectoral. The dorsal fin commences 

 on the foremost part of the snout, and terminates at a distance from 

 the caudal which is rather more than one-half of the depth of the 

 free portion of the tail ; anterior dorsal rays produced beyond the 

 connecting membrane, but considerably shorter than those behind the 

 middle of the fin, which are nearly half as long as the head. Caudal 

 fin slightly rounded, its length being one-sixth of the total. The six 

 ventral rays are arranged in the same line with those of the anal fin, 

 both fins being connected by a broad, complete, rayless membrane ; 

 the vent is situated on the blind side. The length of the pectoral is 

 two-thirds of that of the head. Uniform brownish (in spirits) ; pec- 

 toral blackish posteriorly. 



New Zealand. 



«. Ten inches long. New Zealand. Presented by Prof. E. Owen. 

 6. Half-grown. Eay of Islands. Presented by A. Smith, Esq. 

 c. Half-grown. Australia. Presented by Su- J. Richardson. 



2. Rhombosolea tapirina. 



B. 0. D. GO. A. 50. 



The height of the body is contained once and three-fourths in the 

 total length (without caudal), the length of the head nearly three 

 times. Eyes separated by a very narrow ridge, the lower being 

 slightly in advance of the upper. Snout as long as the eye, the 

 diameter of which is one-fifth of the length of the head : the maxillary 

 of the right side extends to below the anterior margin of the eye; 

 teeth in very narrow bands ; jaws equal in front, overlapped anteriorly 

 by a cutaneous flap half as long as the eye. Gill-opening and ven- 

 tral fins as in lih. )un)in2}i(s. The dorsal fin commences at the base 

 of the rostral llap and terminates close by the caudal ; the two ante- 

 rior dorsal ravs are prolonged beyond the connecting membrane, but 

 much shorter than the longest rays, which arc behind the middle of 



