40. PLATTCEPHALUS. 185 



with seven darker cross-bands on the back ; fins spotted with 

 brownish ; the spines and rays of the dorsal and caudal fins crossed 

 by fine black lines. 

 Australian Seas. 



a. Adult. Port Essington. From the Haslar Collection. 



b. Adult : stuffed. Victoria. Voyage of H.M.S. Herald. 



Description. — The length of the head is 3| in the total, or three 

 times in the length without the caudal ; its width between the 

 prseopercular spines is one-half of its length. The snout, as usual, 

 is broad and depressed, with the lower jaw longest ; it comprises 

 one-third of the length of the head. The upper maxillary reaches 

 to below the anterior third of the eye. The diameter of the eyes 

 is one-sixth of the length of the head ; their soft integuments are 

 provided with a band-like tentacle, of about the same length as the 

 diameter. The space between them is concave and narrow, its 

 width being not one-half the diameter of the eye. There is a deep 

 groove behind the upper posterior angle of the orbit. The spines of 

 the head are arranged as follows : — A pair of turbinal spines, "3, pair 

 above the anterior margin of the orbit, two or three pairs of very ob- 

 tuse ones between the grooves mentioned, and one pair on the occiput ; 

 each ridge between the orbit and the commencement of the lateral 

 line is armed with four or five very obtuse spines, and the infra- 

 orbital ridge with a single spine only, below the posterior margin of 

 the orbit. The praeopercular spines are rather short, the upper one' 

 being slightly the longest. The t^vo opercular spines are distinct ; 

 there is a short broad flap at the extremity of the suboperculum, 

 below the angle of the praeoperculum. 



The first dorsal begins with a short and isolated spine vertically 

 between the roots of the ventral and the pectoral fins ; the length of 

 this spine is about one-fifth of the following, which is rather shorter 

 than the third, the length of which is contained 2| times in that of the 

 head. The second dorsal is entirely separated from the spinous, and 

 somewhat lower, the rays being of nearly equal length. The caudal 

 has the posterior margin rounded, and is one-haK the length of the 

 head. The anal is lower than the opposite fin. The pectoral is 

 rather short, reaching to the vertical from the interspace between 

 the fifth and sixth dorsal spines ; the lower eight rays are simple. 

 The ventral, longer than the pectoral, reaches to the origin of the 

 anal. 



All the teeth form viUiform bands ; those of the vomer are arranged 

 in two separate longitudinal bands, parallel to those of the palatine 

 bones. 



The two specimens of this fish have now a brownish ground-colour 

 on the upper parts ; among other more irregular spots, seven blackish 

 bands across the back are distinctly visible, three corresponding to 

 the first dorsal, three to the second, and one situated across the root 

 of the caudal ; the latter is the darkest. All the fins are spotted and 

 variegated -with brown, and the spines and rays of the dorsal and 

 caudal fins are crossed by fine black streaks. 



