SOME AUSTRALIAN BLENNIOIU FISHKS. 



1?Y 



Am, AN II. McCuLLOCH, Zoolof^ist, and Fkank A. McNkiij,, .Tuiiior Assibtant, 



A USTK A r.lAN M us K UiM . 



(Plates iii.-iv.) 



Owing t(i the kindness of Fi'ofessor W. A. Haswell, ]\[.A., D.Sc, we 

 have been enabled to examine tlie typical examples of the various Blennies 

 described b^' Sir William John Macleay, which are pieseived in the 

 Maclea}' ^Fuseuni at the University oF Sydney. Some of these can be 

 identified with earlier described species, while we have redesciibed aud 

 figured the otheis. We are also indebted to the Acting-Director of the 

 Queensland Museum for the loan of the types of three species described by 

 Mr. Charles W. de Vis, and to Mr. J. Douglas Ogilby foi' valuable notes 

 upon them. 



The Australian Museum collection is rich in good series of various 

 species of S<(h(ri((s from many localities, which have enabled us to revise 

 those i-ecorded from Australian waters. A large collection was made at 

 Muiiay Island, Torres Strait, by Messis. C. Hedley and A. K. 

 McCuUoch in October, 1907. Others weie secured by Messrs. C. Hedley 

 and E. A. Briggs near Cape Bedford, Queensland, in August, 1916, and 

 at Cairns Reef and Masthead Island, Queensland, b}-- A. R. McCulloch at 

 various times. A particularly valuable series was obtained by Dr. A. 

 D. C. Cummins and Staff Paymaster P. B. Stevens, R.N., in the New 

 Hebrides, while we ai'e fortunate in having Indian specimens for exani- 

 itiation which were part of the collection made by Dr. Francis Day. 

 Finally, the Australian Museum collecfion includes several co-t3'pes of 

 species described from Austialia which piove to belong to allied genera. 



Salarias, Curler. 

 Salari((s, Cuvier, Regne Anim., ii., 1817, p. 251 (8. cpt,adripev7ii^, Riippell). 



The presence of canine teeth has been used to separate Alticus, 

 Lacepede, from Salartas, but we find intermediate species in which they 

 are occasionally present or absent. Further, some species, such as S. 

 fasn'atii.-^, which ai-e described as lacking canines, are found to have a 

 small one on each side of the mandible. 



Key to the Aiisfridia7i >^pecie!^ : — 

 a. Dorsal fin not or scarcely notched between the spines and rays. 

 b. No occipital crest. 



r. Nnchal tentacles large, fringed ; body and fins varigated .fasciatiis. 



cc. No nuchal tentacles ; body and fins nearly black .fuscus. 



hb. An occipital crest spaldingi. 



((ft. Dorsal fin incised lietween the spines and rays. 



(?. Mandibular canines lai-ge ; about 17 dorsal and 19 anal rays irroratus. 



lUJ. Mandibular canines small or absent ; 19-23 dorsal and 19-24. anal rays. 



e. Ocular tentacle simple ; 19-20 dorsal rays rii-uJatHS. 



(S. mtiUeri. Klunzinger, apparently [enters this section). 

 ee. Ocular tentacles liranched. 



(S. kingii, Cuv. and Val., apparently enters this section). 



