20 RECORDS OF THK ACSiK'ALIAN MrsKfM. 



SaLAKIAS (iKMIXATI'P, AJhnjiie ainJ Murhinj. 



(Plate iv., H<:. :).) 



S'lhiriiis gei)n'iu(ti(f:, Alle^'ne ami Macleay, Proc. Liiii). Sue. N.S.Wales, i., 



1877, p. 336, pi. xiii., tig. 3. 

 Salariiis cri^ticeiis, Alleyiie and Macleaj, lhl<l., p. 338, pi. xiv., fig. 3. 



D. xii/22; A. ii/23; P. 14; V. 3 ; C. 13. Depth 5.7 ill the length 

 tu the hypural joint; head 5.2 in the same. Eye 3.8 in the head ; iuter- 

 orbital space ■i.2 in the eye. Median dor.sal spines 1.6, median dorsal 

 rays 1.2, median anal rays 1.5 in <he head. 



Head longer than hig!;, with a subvertical forehead. OccijHtal crest 

 well developed. A large branched ocular tentacle ; nasal tentacle 

 minute, feebly bi-auched ; no nuchal tentacle. Month reaching well be- 

 yond the vertical of the hinder orbital margin. A minute internal canine 

 is present on each side of the mandible. 



Dorsal fin deeply notched, commencing above the hinder poi-tiou of 

 the operculum, the spinous portion much shorter than the soft. The 

 median spines are slightly longer than the others, but are lower than the 

 rays. Doi'sal rays subequal, the median one slightly longer than the 

 others, the last united to the base of the caudal. Median anal rays long- 

 est, the last not connected to the caudal peduncle by membrane. Pectoral 

 obtusely pointed, the Hftli lowest ray longest, and reaching tlie vertical of 

 the ninth dorsal spine. Median ventral ray longest, reaching less than 

 half its distance from the vent ; the inner ray slender and closely 

 adpressed to the second. 



Colunr vKirl-iiiij. — Body with broad, dark, ])aircd cr(>ss-bands, which 

 are most distinct beneath the soft dorsal. On the back there are corres- 

 ponding paired, blackish spots, with light interspaces between them. To- 

 wards the caudal peduncle thex-e are some indefinite dark spots. Spinous 

 dorsal with some broad, sinuous, subhorizontal dark stripes. Second dorsal 

 Avith oblique stripes, sepai'ated by narrow light lines; these are expanded 

 and darker in the basal portion of the tin, and they form undulating lines 

 on a dark submai'ginal band; extreme margin Avhite. Caudal with a 

 broad, submarginal band, similar to that of the second dorsal. Anal 

 dusky, darker towards its margin. 



Described fi-om the holotype of the species, 101 mm. lung: it is 

 much faded, but exhibits most of the characteristic colour mai'kiug 

 described above. The accompanying figure rejn'escnts a spccinu/n 107 

 mm. long from Murray Island, Torres Strait. 



ViirlatloH. — The \evy small canine tooth is not always easily detected 

 in this species, and is apparently present in larger examples only, but is 

 Avanting in those of smaller size. The posterior anal ray is usually free 

 from the caudal peduncle, but may be joined to it by membrane. In 

 eight specimens we find xiii/21-22 dorsal rays, and i-ii/22-24 anal rays ; 

 Macleay wrongly counted tlic number of doi-sal and anal I'ays in the 

 holotype. 



Si/ii'nni))! y. — The liolof\|ie of ,s. rc/.v/Zivyi.-;, ')■[■ mm. long, is much dis- 

 coloured, but exhibits distinct markings which arc similar to those of S. 

 (jeminatus, to which it is also similar in all structural details. 



