FISHES. — MCCULLOCH. 105 



Hinder preopercular margin either straight or concave, extending 

 obliquely backward and downward, the angle broadly rounded ; 

 its margin is entire though striated. Operculum with two flat 

 spines which are almost hidden by the scales. A single row of 

 exceedingly minute teeth in the front of each jaw is usually 

 present, though they cannot always be detected. Palate and 

 tongue toothless. Gill-rakers long and slender, about twenty six 

 on the lower limb of the first arch ; the longest are about half as 

 long as the diameter of the eye. 



The scales are finely ciliated, and the surface near their hinder 

 margins is roughened ; they are smaller above the lateral line 

 than on the sides. They extend forward onto the snout and pre- 

 orbital bone, and also cover the maxillary and lower jaw, 

 together with all the opercles. Base of the pectoral scaly, and 

 there is a long axillary scale above the base of each ventral. The 

 scales form a triangular shield on the base of each caudal lobe, 

 and the dorsal and anal fins are provided with scaly sheaths 

 which are most developed posteriorly. Lateral line roughly 

 following the line of the back, but nearer to it posteriorly than 

 in front ; it extends beyond the hypural onto the bases of the 

 middle caudal rays. 



Dorsal fin originating over, in front of, or a little behind the 

 insertion of the ventrals. The spines are moderately strong, and 

 the third or fourth is the longest ; the following ones decrease 

 regularly backwards, the last being not longer than the penul- 

 timate one. The second dorsal ray is the highest ; the base of 

 the soft dorsal is very much less than half that of the spinous 

 portion. Anal originating below the anterior dorsal rays, and 

 terminating level with or behind that fin. The spines are rather 

 stronger than those of the dorsal, and the third is the longest, 

 but is much shorter than the anterior rays. Pectoral falcate. 

 Ventral spine long and slender ; the outer ray the longer. Caudal 

 deeply forked. 



Colour. — Yellowish in formalin, probably pinkish during life, 

 with longitudinal rows of yellow spots along the series of scales. 



Described from three specimens, 192-325 mm. long from the 

 snout to the middle caudal rays. They are the largest, the 

 smallest, and a median sized example of a series of twenty three 

 specimens, the last mentioned being the type, which is figured. 



P. macrolepis differs from P. rubiginosus in having much 

 larger and less numerous scales ; the vomer also appears to be 

 toothless, though microscopic villous teeth are perhaps present in 

 some specimens. 



Loc. — Great Australian Bight, west of Eucla, Lat. 33°20'S., 

 Long. 126-127°E., 70-120 fathoms; March, 1912. 



