280 RECORDS OP THE AUSTRALIAN 'MUSEUM. 



rounded anteriorly and largely free. Gill-openings separated by a wide 

 isthmus, the membranes extending forward, but not united across it. 

 Exposed edge of the slioulder-girdle forming a smooth, curved ridge. 

 Pseudobranchioe present ; gill-rakers of first gill-arch short and spaced, 

 about eight on the lower limb. Dorsal with 7-9 spines, and 9-14 I'ays, 

 anal with 9-14 rays. Ventrals sepai^ate, with i/5 rays. Caudal rounded. 



Affinities. — This genus is very similar to Ophiona-a, Gill, from which 

 it differs principally in its physiognomy. The squamation of the upper 

 surface of the head is very different in typical forms of the two genei^a, 

 while the first dorsal has usually six spines in Ophiocara and seven to nine 

 in Mofjnrnda, but some species exhibit intermediate characters between 

 these extremes. Odontohutis, Bleekei', is also closely allied to Mogurnda, 

 but has only a narrow isthmus separating the gill-openings, over which 

 the membranes are narrowly united. 



Key to species. — 



a. Dorsal with 11-13 rays, body spotted. Vertebrae 31 Subgenus Mogurnda. 



b. 37-42 scales between the axil and the hypural joint subspecies mogurnda. 



bb. 30-35 scales between the axil and the hypural joint subspecies adspersus. 



aa. Dorsal with 9 rays, body striped. Vertebrae 28 Subgenus fi're/i ins. 



c. 31-33 scales between the axil and the hypural joint australis. 



Mogurnda mogurnda, Richardson. 



Eleotris mogurnda, Richardson, Ichth. "Erebus & Terror", 1844, p. 4, pi. 

 ii., fig. 1-2. Id., Giinther, Brit. Mus. Cat. Fish., iii., 1861, p. 111. 

 Id., Castelnau, Proc. Zool. Soc. Vict., ii., 1873, p. 85, and Res. Fish. 

 Austr. (Vict. Offic. Rec. Philad. Exhib.), 1875, p. 23. Id., Klunzinger, 

 Sitzb. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Ixxx. i., 1879, p. 384. Id., Macleay, Proc. 

 Linn. Soc. N.S.Wales, v., 1881, p. 617. 



/Eleotris mogurnda, Weber, Nova Guinea, v., 1903, p. 253, and Abhandl. 

 Senckenb. Naturforsch. Gesellsch., xxxiv., 1911, p. 34, pi. i., fig. 2. 



Eleotris larapintcp, Zeitz, Rept. Horn Sci. Exp. C. Aust., ii., 1896, p. 179, 

 pi. xvi., fig. 4. 



D. viii/13 ; A. 12 ; P. 16 ; V. i/5 ; C. 15. 41-42 rows of scales 

 between the axil and the hypural joint, and 16 between the anterior 

 doi'sal and anal rays. 



Depth at ventrals 3*5 in the length between the premaxillary 

 symphysis and the hypui^al joint ; head 3'2 in the same. Ej-e 5 in the 

 head, shorter than the snout, which is 4*2 in the head ; interocular width 

 almost twice as wide as the eye, 27 in the head. Breadth between the 

 bases of tlie pectorals 1-4 in the depth ; depth of caudal peduncle 2 in the 

 head. Sixth dorsal spine 27, last dorsal i-ay 1-5, and last anal ray 21 in 

 the head. Pectoral 17, caudal 13 in the head. 



Head largely covered with cycloid scales, which extend forward to 

 between the posterior nostrils above, and cover the cheek and operculum ; 

 snont and inaiidihh' iiakiMl. Rows ol' minute pores extend from above the 



