130 "endeavour" scientific results 



The presence of a preanal spine in this species suggests that it 

 is not a true Pseudorhombus, but dissection shows that it is 

 merely the end of a large modified interhacmal spine which is 

 equally developed in P. arsius, though its tip docs not perforate 

 the skin in that species. The cycloid scales, also, offer a striking 

 contrast to the ctenoid ones of P. arsitis, but those of P. tenui- 

 rostrum are intermediate between the two extremes. The 

 palmate gill-rakers, however, are very different to what I have 

 seen in any other species of the genus. 



Described from two specimens 225-274 mm. long. Tin 1 

 smaller, which is selected as the type, is in the Australian 

 Museum collection, and is the specimen figured ; it is from 

 Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia. The larger one was 

 taken by the " Endeavour " between Cape Natural iste and 

 Geraldton, Western Australia. 



PsEUDORHOMBUS TENCIKASTRUJI, Waite. 



Paralichthys t&rmirastrum, Waite, Mem. Austr. Mus.. iv., pt. 1, 

 1899, p. 121, pi. xxviii. 



Pseudorhombus tenuirastrum, Ogilby, Mem. Qld. Mus., i.. pt. 1, 

 1912, pp. 43, 45. 



D. 73-77; A. 59-63; V. 6 ; P. sin. 1. 10-12, P. dex. 1,9-11 

 C. 17 ; L. hit. to hypural 73-80. Depth 2-2.3, head 4.2-4.8 in the 

 length to the hypural. Dorsal profile more or less deeply 

 notched on the snout, only a narrow space between it and the eye. 

 Dorsal tin commencing on the lower side of the snout on the 

 same level as the anterior margin of the upper eye. Upper eye 

 on a level with or slightly in advance of the lower, 4-1.0 iu the 

 head. Teeth very small, close together. Maxillary broadly 

 expanded behind, reaching almost to or a little behind the middle 

 of the eye. Gill-rakers slender, 4-6 times as long as broad, with 

 spines on their anterior edges. Scales cycloid above and below, 

 the upper ones with a minute rough patch well within the 

 anterior margin. 



In drawing up the above diagnosis, I have minutely compared 

 twenty specimens, 137-280 mm. long, including the types of the 

 species. The Australian Museum collection includes a young 

 example which was dredged in Port Jackson. 



Locs. — North-east of Richmond River Heads, New South 

 Wales, 16-18 fathoms. 



Shoalhaven Bight, New South Wales, 15-45 fathoms. 



Off the east coast of Flinders Island, Bass Strait. 



Ogilby notes its occurrence iu Queensland waters but gives no 

 special locality. 



