FISHES. — MCCULLOCH. 133 



HOPLICHTHYS OGILBYI, sp. UOV. 



(Plate xxviii., fig. 1-la.) 



Br. 7; D.vi. 15; A.i. 16; P. 12+4; V.i. 5; lateral plates 27. 

 Head, from tip of snout to end of opercular flap, 3.36 in tlie 

 length to the hypural. Depth before the ventrals 3.8, width 

 2.23 in the head. Eye 4.66, snout 3, second dorsal spine 3.8, 

 first dorsal ray 3, longest pectoral ray 1.3, inner ventral ray 

 2.23, middle caudal rays 1.63 in the head. 



Snout rounded, tip of lower jaw not visible from above 

 Sides of head formed of four spinate lobes, the spines increasing 

 in size backwards. The first lobe also bears one or two strong 

 spines projecting forward on the side of the snout. The last 

 spine of the second lobe is almost on a level with the anterior 

 margin of the eye, and that of the third with the posterior 

 margin. The fourth lobe includes the strong preopercular spine 

 and a second smaller one given off near the base of the latter. 

 All the exposed bones of the head are very rough with tuber- 

 culiform spines or granules which are arranged in rows radiating 

 from larger central spines or clusters of spines. The fleshy area 

 aronnd the eye is margined on its outer side by several clusters 

 of strong curved spines, of which the most prominent are two 

 terminating two ridges, which run obliquely backwards and 

 outwards. There is an upstanding group of spines behind the 

 eye, on the occiput, and on the humeral plate on each side, and 

 and two smaller ones occur on the preoperculnm and anterior 

 part of the operculum. The relative positions of these and other 

 head structures may be seen in the figures. 



The maxillary is broadly expanded behind, its length is 3.3 in 

 the head, and it does not nearly reach the level of the front 

 margin of the eye. All the bones on either side of, and behind 

 the jaws are very rough, and there is a row of spines behind the 

 maxillary. The teeth are microscopic, and are arranged in 

 narrow bands on the jaws, which are interrupted at the 

 symphyses. They form a narrow arched baud on the vomer, 

 without any backward processes as in H. liaswelli. The palatine 

 band is narrow, almost linear. 



Body entirely scaleless. The lateral plates cover the greater 

 part of the back, leaving only a narrow space between them and 

 the base of the dorsal fin ; they extend well down onto the sides. 

 They support a row of strong, sub-equal recurved spines, near 

 the bases of which may be several much smaller ones ; their 

 surfaces are very rough with minute granular spines, and there 

 is a denticulated ridge extending obliquely forward on the upper 

 anterior margin of each. The posterior margins are deeply 

 cleft behind the large spines. 



