160 EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



So far, this species lias only been recorded from tlie limited district lying 

 between Port Hacking and Lake Macqnarie. 



The Narrow-banded Sole attains to a length of eleven inches, but does not 

 average more than eight or nine. 



Genus III.— SYNAPTURA. 



Synaptura, Cantor, Catal. Malay. Fish. p. 222, 1850. 



Cleft of mouth narrow, twisted round to the left side. Nostrils variously 

 formed. Eyes ou the right side, the vipper in advance of the low^er. Teeth 

 on the blind side only, villiform forming bands : no vomerine or palatine 

 teeth. Vertical fins confluent, the dorsal commencing on the snout : pectorals 

 present or absent. Scales small, ctenid. Lateral line straight. 



GeofjrajjMcal distribution. — Indian Ocean and Archipelago ; Chinese, 

 Japanese, and Australian seas ; Cape of Good Hope ; Mediterranean, and 

 the coast of Portugal. Though normally marine fishes, some species are 

 permanantly resident in fresh water, and these forms are without pectoral fins. 



The species have been subdivided thus :■ — 



A. One of the nostrils on the blind side dilated. 



B. No dilated nostril on the blind side. 



a. Pectoral fins well developed, the right being more or less the longer, 



Synaptura. 

 h. Left pectoral fin rudimentary, ^^A'0/)?flr, ^f. 



c. Left pectoral fin longer than the right, Anisocliirus. 



d. Pectoral fins absent, Acliiroides. 

 Our species belongs to section A. 



SYNAPTUEA NIGEA. 



Synaptura nigra, Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. "Wales, v. p. 49, 1881 ; 

 Woods, Fisher. N. S. Wales, p. 77. 



Black Sole. 

 Plate XXXIX. 



B. vi. D. 57-62. A. 4J-52. V. 4. P. d.7, s.5. C. 14. L. lat. 74-80. L. tr. 

 29-31/33-35. Coec. pyl. Vert. 10/28. 

 Length of head 5-00-5-20, height of body 2-20-2-33 in the total length. 

 Eyes small, the upper one half of its diameter in advance of the lower, which 

 is situated above the angle of the mouth, and whose diameter is 2"00-2'50 in 

 the length of the snout, which is about 3'40 in that of the head : interorbital 

 space narrow, 1'60-2'00 in the diameter of the eye. Cleft of mouth crescentic. 

 Lips of both sides fringed with simple papilla^ of moderate length. Dextral 

 nostrils simple and tubular, situated close together, immediately in front of 

 the lower eye ; anterior sinistral nostril dilated, pierced in the centre of an 

 isolated patch, which, except at the antero-superior angle, is entirely sepa- 

 rated from the surrounding epiderm by a deep fossa, which is connected 

 with the upper lip, and the margins of which are densely fringed with simple 

 papilla? : posterior sinistral nostril situated in a depression which also enters 

 the fossa, and is protected inferiorly by a densely j^apillose skinny flap. 

 Inferior margin of head with numerous short simple papilla^ the posterior 

 pair of Avhich is much larger and more conspicuous than those preceding 

 them. Both jaws on the blind side with a band of minute teeth. The 

 dorsal fin commences in front of the upper eye : two ventral fins, separate 

 from the anal, which commences beneath the middle of the gillcovers ; vent 

 with a conspicuous papilla at its postero-superior angle : pectorals small and 



