FISHES. — MCCULLOCH. 146 



almost straight, the Hue being broken only by the obtusely 

 elevated supraocular margins ; interorbital space a little 

 concave. 8nout pointed, margin of the preorbital bone 

 serrated. Maxillary small and weak, reaching to below the 

 posterior nostril. Lips thick, fleshy, and papillose. Posterior 

 margin of preoperculum nearly vertical, the angle rounded 

 and more or less produced backwards ; both margins finely 

 serrated. Operculum unarmed. Nostrils nearer the eye than 

 the end of the snout, the anterior tubular, the posterior a 

 simple opening. 



Teeth in a band on each jaw, depressible, the outer ones 

 enlarged, cardiform, and curved. A broad patch of villiform 

 vomerine teeth ; palatines and tongue toothless. 



Body scales differing in structure in different parts. On 

 the upper anterior portion of the back, breast and abdomen 

 they have the central portion thickened, and more or less 

 tubercular, with the surface rugose Avith ridges radiating 

 backwards. From these, they gradually change to thin, flat 

 scales on the sides which are microscopically rugose, and 

 have ctenoid margins. The bases of the dorsal and anal fins 

 are covered by low, scaly sheathes. The lateral line rises 

 rapidly towards the back anteriorly, and forms a high arch 

 to below the end of the soft dorsal, whence it runs along the 

 middle of the caudal peduncle. There are forty-five to forty- 

 seven rows of scales betAveen the origin of the lateral line and 

 the hypiu'al joint. 



Dorsal spines very strong and coarsely carinate ; the fourth 

 is the highest, and the others decrease regularly backwards. 

 The second and longest ray is not much higher than the last 

 spine, and the margin of the soft dorsal is rounded. Anal 

 originating below the middle of the soft dorsal, its spines and 

 rays similar to those of that fin. Ventral spine very strong, 

 inserted below the sixth and seventh dorsal spines ; the rays 

 reach the vent. Upper pectoral rays longest, not quite 

 reaching the verticle of the vent. Caudal truncate. 



Colour. — Yellowish olive, the scales with lighter centres. 

 Membrane of the ventral fins blackish. 



Described from a specimen 246 mm. long, which is selected 

 as the type ; it is figured on PI. xxvi., fig- 1. 



A young example, 103 mm. long, differs from the larger 

 specimen described above so greatly that, in the absence of 

 an intermediate series, one Avoidd Iiardly rega^xl the tAAO as 

 belonging to the same species. The bones covering the head 

 are separated from one another and more rugose, and some 

 bear spines and tubercles ; the supraorbital ridge supports 



