272 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



and around the preopercular border. Mucigerous canals covered by thin 

 membrane follow these bony ridges, and are perforated along their length 

 by open pores. Scales cover the cheeks and opercles, and all of the snout 

 posterior to the hinder nostril ; they are small on the anterior half of the 

 head, larger on the opercles, and bear many minute scalelets on their 

 basal portions. Orbit breaking the upper profile of the head, the eye 

 small and lateral. Interorbital space flat, and scaly to the orbital margins, 

 the scales being subdivided into three series by the bony crests. Snout 

 depressed, somewhat sharply rounded. Nostrils about midway between 

 the eye and the end of the snout, the anterior in a low tube. Mouth a 

 little oblique, the maxilla extending back to about the vertical of the 

 anterior border of the eye. Mandible projecting beyond the upper jaw. 

 Each jaw with a band of villiform teeth, which is broadest anteriorly and 

 narrows backwards ; the posterior rows are slightly larger than the 

 anterior ones, and there is an outer I'ow of slightly enlarged conical teeth. 

 Tongue free, broadly spatulate. Gill-openings very wide, extending 

 forward to below the middle of the eye, the membranes united across the 

 isthmus ; the latter about as wide as the eye. Exposed edge of shoulder- 

 girdle smooth. 



Body subcylindrical anteriorly, compressed posteriorly. It is closely 

 covered with large angular ctenoid scales of almost uniform size, which 

 also cover the breast and base of the pectorals. At the base of each are 

 two or three small scalelets. Genital papilla well developed. 



First dorsal originating above the anterior third of the pectoral, 

 rounded ; the second spine is longest, about as long as the snout, and the 

 membrane from the last does not nearly reach the second dorsal. The 

 margin of the second dorsal is straight, the second ray longest, and the 

 othei's decieasing slightly backwards. Anal originating below the third 

 dorsal ray, and terminating behind the last ; its rays increase in length 

 backwards. Pectoral rounded, the middle rays reaching the vertical of 

 the first dorsal ray. Ventrals inserted below the hinder half of the 

 operculum, and leaching about two-thirds of their distance from the vent. 

 Caudal broadly rounded. 



Colour-marMng. — Light brown in alcohol, variegated with darker cross- 

 bars, disposed in about five paii's ; darker lines extend along the series of 

 scales, and scattered blackish dots are present on the head and bod}'. A 

 broad dark streak extends across the snout to the eye, and is continued 

 backwards across the preopeiculum. Anterior dorsal marbled with 

 blackish-brown on a lighter ground colour, and a broad light margin. 

 Second dorsal with oblique rows of dark dots on the raj-s. Anal dark, 

 with a whitish bordei' ; some large white dark-edged ocelli between the 

 rays. Lower [)ortion of the caudal similai" to the anal, a bioad [)ortion of 

 the upper half and a narrow lower margin white. Ventials variegated 

 with brown and white, and having a broad white margin. Pectorals light 

 coloured, with a striking quadiangular bhickish blotch on a light ground 

 colour at the base of the rays. 



Described and figured from a specimen 133 mm. long Eight others 

 95-153 mm. long, are siniiinr in all details, varying only in the degi-ee of 

 the development of the colour-marking. 



