132 "endeavour" scientific results. 



Family HOPLICHTHYIDjE. 

 Genus Hoplichthys, Curler 8f Valenciennes. 



HoPIilCHTHYS HASWELLT, McCulloch, 



Hoplichthys haswelli, McCulloch, Rec. Austr. Mus., vi., pt. 5, 

 1907, p. 351, pi. lxiv. 



A splendid series of one hundred and five specimens of this 

 species, 160-420 mm. long, exhibits considerable variation in the 

 form and armature of the head. The young differ from the 

 larger examples principally in wanting most of the spiniferous 

 ridges of the head, only the larger ones being present. The 

 eyes are much larger, being 4.5 in the head as against 7.33, 

 The interorbital space is very narrow in small specimens, its 

 width being only about one-third the diameter of the eye though 

 equal to it in the largest examples. One specimen 215 mm. 

 long, is particularly interesting since it appears to have retained 

 some of its juvenile characters. It has very few spiny ridges on 

 the head, and the interorbital width is only 4.76 in the eye. 

 A very young specimen, 77 mm. long, has a much broader and 

 rounder snout than the others, and only the largest of the cep- 

 halic spines are developed. It has the following proportions : — 

 Head, including the opercular flap, 2.58 in the length to the 

 hypural. Eye 4.85 in the head and 1.57 in the snout. Inter- 

 orbital space 2.1 in the eye. 



Most of the specimens are mottled with more or less definite 

 darker spots, and some show traces of four greyish cross-bars on 

 the back. The first dorsal has a dark blotch in its hinder half, 

 and the second has several rows of black spots between the 

 rays. The margin of the caudal is black. 



Locs. — Off Bermagui, New South Wales, 70-80 fathoms ; 

 17th July, 1912. 



South from Gabo Island, Victoria, 96-108 fathoms: 20th 

 July, 1911. 



36 miles off Cape Everard, Victoria, 70-100 fathoms: 28th 

 May, 1910, and August, 1911. 



East from East Sister Island, Bass Strait, 90 fathoms; 23rd 

 April, 1910. 



Great Australian Bight, Long. 126°30 'E„ 100 fathoms ; March, 

 1913. 



Great Australian Bight, Long. 126°45'E. 130-320 fathoms. 



