128 KECOKliS OF THE ATSTKALIAX MUSEUM. 



Lowex' profile of the head and body more strongly arched than the 

 upper. Head slightly broader than deep. Snout rounded in the horizontal 

 plane, its upper piotile forming an almost straight oblique line with that 

 of the head and fore part of the body to the oi'igin of the dorsal tin. 

 Upper lip almost vertical, each ramus about one-third as deep as long, 

 with a row of minute ciliee on the edge; mandible very thin, wilhout 

 teeth, its rami meeting at a wide angle, and with a pit at the symphysis. 

 Maxilla exposed when the mouth is closed, and reaching backward to 

 slightly behind the vertical of the posteiior nostril. Preorbital notched 

 at the angle of the mouth, its inferior and posterior borders denticulated ; 

 its upper surface with a few scales. Adipose eyelids well developed but 

 not encroaching upon the pupil. Cheek-scales in four rows below the eye, 

 microscopicall}^ ctenoid and rugose exteriorly ; those covering the 

 preopercular margin are interrupted by several shallow naked mucous 

 canals. Scales cover the snoitt almost to the margin of the lip, and 

 extend over the mandible. 



Body-scales mici'oscopically ciliated, appearing cycloid to the naked 

 eye. They are largest on the middle of tlie sides and smallest on the 

 caudal peduncle ; their free-edges are membranous but sculptuied like 

 the rest of the scale. No distinct axillary scales, but the exobasal scales 

 of the ventral and first dorsal fins are well developed. The soft dorsal 

 and anal fins are almost completely covered with scales, as are also the 

 bases of the pectoral and caudal fins while small scales extend up between 

 their rays. 



First dorsal spine inserted nearer the snout than the hypural joint, 

 and above the nintli or tenth body-scales ; the second spine is longest but 

 reaches less than half its distance from the middle of the second dorsal. 

 Soft dorsal imperfect, originating above the nineteenth or twentieth body- 

 scale ; the s[)ace between the origins of the two doisal fins is much greater 

 than the length of the head. Anal imperfect, originating below the 

 eighteenth body-scale and terminating behind the middle of the dorsal fin ; 

 its base is about one and two-thirds in its distance from the hypural joint. 

 Pectoral tin reaching the seventh body-scale and terminating far in 

 advance of the vertical of the first dorsal spine. Ventral inserted below 

 the hinder tliiid of the pectoral and very slightl}'^ nearer the snout than 

 the oi'igin of the anal ; it reaches backward to below the (hi id ilorsal 

 spine. Caudal imperfect, emarginate. 



Blown after preservation in formaline, darker above, with tra,ccs oi 

 brown bands along each scale-rc^w. 



Described and figured from a specimen 264 mm. long to the end of 

 the middle caudal rays, which has been definitely labelled by Ogilby as 

 the ty|)e of the species. Its second dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are 

 imperfect, so these have been completed in the figure from another 

 specimen, in which also the colour-marking is as illusti'ated. 



Ajjiiiitiet^. — This species differs fi-om A/, fade, Forskal, as described 

 and figured by Klunzingei-' in having the dorsal and anal fins largely 

 covered by scales. A comparison of the type witli an Indian example of 



I Khni/,iii^'f,r Fiscln; Iv'otli. Mocr. i., IHHl, )>. j:fl, pi. x., H;,', ;<. 



