RHOMBOSOLEIN.^ 419 



Depth of body i| to 2 J in the length, length of head about 5. Upper profile of 

 head distinctly concave. Snout shorter than eye, diameter of which is 4 to 4J in 

 length of head and 2f to 3J times the interorbital width ; lower eye a little in advance 

 of upper ; a bony protuberance in front of lower eye. Maxillary extending to below 

 anterior edge of eye or not quite as far, length 4^ to nearly 5 in that of head ; lower 

 jaw a little projecting, 2} to 3 in head. Band of teeth m lower jaw a little broader 

 than that in upper. Gill-rakers conical or with 2 or 3 points distally, 7 to 9 on lower 

 part of anterior arch. Scales of ocular side more strongly denticulated than those of 

 bhnd side ; 77 to 85 in lateral line. Dorsal 83-91 ; highest rays 2 to 2^ in length of 

 head. Anal 70-75. Pectoral of ocular side with 11 to 13 rays (10 or 11 branched), 

 length if to I J in that of head. Anterior ray of pelvic of ocular side inserted below 

 eye, sixth or seventh ray opposite first ray of pelvic of blind side. Caudal with 18 rays 

 (14 branched), rounded ; caudal peduncle 4 to 6 times as deep as long. Greyish or 

 brownish, sometimes with irregular darker patches. 



Type. — Canterbury Museum, Christchurch. 



Distribution. — New Zealand ; Chatham Islands. 



Specimens Ex-iiMiNED : 



I (260 mm.). Wellington. Dominion Mus. 



I (330 ,, ). Timaru. Archey. 



I (225 ,, ). Dunedin. Otago Mus. 



Grows to a length of about 18 inches. 



Genus 40. AMMOTRETIS. 



Ammotretis, Giinther, 1862, Cat. Fish., iv, p. 458 [Ammotretis rostratus, GUnther] ; Norman, 1926, 



Biol. Res. " Endeavour '*, v, p. 266. 

 Tapirisolea, Ramsay, 1883, Int. Fish. E.thib., Cat. Exhib. N.S.W. Court, pp. 17, 44 [N. N.]. 



Body ovate or rather elongate, compressed. Eyes on the right side, separated 

 by a flatfish, scaled space, the upper at some distance from edge of head ; eyeballs 

 not scaled ; snout produced into a fleshy hook which hangs freely in front of mouth ; 

 nasal organ of blind side nearly oppo.site to that of ocular side ; olfactory laminae few 

 or in moderate number, parallel to one another and to the axis of the body, without 

 central rachis. Mouth small, visible on ocular side, the jaws much stronger on blind 

 side, where they are distinctly curved ; lower lip of ocular side fringed ; teeth small, 

 movable, acutely pointed, not enlarged anteriorly, in bands in the jaws of the blind 

 side ; vomer toothless. Gill-rakers tubercular, few in number ; lower pharyngeals 

 of moderate width, their inner edges angular, more or less approximated for the 

 greater part of their length ; teeth pointed, in several irregular rows, smaller and 

 more numerous posteriorly ; branchial septum entire. Dorsal fin commencing at 

 e.xtremity of rostral hook ; anterior rays simple, more or less free, their edges more 

 or less bluntly serrated on ocular side ; remainder mostly forked distally ; most of 

 the rays scaled on both sides ; no basal sheath. Anal similar to dorsal ; tip of first 

 interha;mal spine not projecting in front of fin. Pectoral fins of equal size or that of 

 ocular side larger ; middle rays branched, none of them prolonged. Both pelvic fins 

 developed ; that of ocular side elongate, with 7 to 13 rays, more or less united with 

 anal ; that of blind side with 3 to 6 rays, base very short. Caudal fin with the middle 

 rays branched ; caudal peduncle short. Scales small or of moderate size, adherent, 

 imbricated, ctenoid or cycloid. Lateral line rising slightly or with a very low curve 

 above the pectoral fin ; a short supratemporal branch sometimes present. Vent a 

 little on blind side, above first ray of anal fin ; intestine of moderate length or rather 

 elongate. 



Five species from southern Australia. 



