DR. RICHARDSON'S DESCRIPTION OF AUSTRALIAN FISH. 73 



tubercles of any kind represented on any part of the fish. The fins and several parts 

 about the head and gills are rose-coloured : the body is pale, with a strong golden lustre 

 on the small scales, which cover also the cheek and three patches on the supra-scapular 

 bone. The figure shows the rays as follows : — V. 1|.5 ; D. 7 — 18 ; A. 2 — 17 ; C. 14. 

 The ventrals are farther back than in the common Dory or Mediterranean Capros, being 

 under the middle of the pectorals. All the rays of the second dorsal and anal are repre- 

 sented as simple. Voyagers to New Zealand mention Dorys as common on that coast, 

 but none of the naturalists who have visited the Australian seas speak of the Boar-fish. 

 We name the species Capros Australis. 



Serranus rasor, Tasmanian Barber. — Serranus rasor, Proceedings of Zoological So- 

 ciety, June 25, 1839, p. 95. 



Tab. IV. Fig. 1. 



Serr. maxillis valde squamosis ; ramulis radiorum pectoralium apices lanceolatos for- 

 mantibus ; pinnis omnibus prater ventrales squamosis ; radiis aculeatis pinna dorsi 

 subaqualibus ; fascia oculum cingenti ceeruled per lineam lateralem productd. 

 Radii :— Br. 7 - 7 ; P. 13 ; V. 1|5 ; D. 10|21 ; A. 3|9 ; C. 15^. 



The serrature of the preoperculum is the most obvious and general character by which 

 the very numerous Serrani are connected with each other. A considerable proportion 

 of the species have the jaws entirely scaleless ; another, and a still larger division (" les 

 Merous"), have very small scales on the lower jaw only; and the third and smallest 

 group have the labials, as well as the lower jaw, well protected by scales. These vari- 

 ations in the extension of the scales on the jaws are not inseparably connected with mo- 

 difications in the structure of more essential parts, so as to furnish characters for generic 

 or subgeneric groups, but they are used by Cuvier merely as a convenient means for 

 subdividing a very extensive genus. He therefore rejects Bloch's genus Anthias, which 

 corresponds to the small division, having strong scales on the labials, but retains the 

 group as an artificial subdivision, under the designation of " les Barbiers." 



The Van Diemen's Land fish, which is described below, is one of the " Barbers," a fact 

 which the specific appellation rasor is intended to indicate ; the more classical word tonsor 

 having been previously appropriated to another species. 



Six Barbers are described in the ' Histoire des Poissons,' — one from the Mediterra- 

 nean, another from the Mauritius, and the rest from the Caribbean or Brazilian seas. 

 Tliree of them have one of the dorsal rays and the caudal lobes prolonged ; the three 

 others have the spines of the dorsal more nearly even. The Tasmanian Barber resem- 

 bles the latter in this respect, but is readily distinguished from them and from all other 

 Serrani of which we have seen figures by the peculiar form of its pectoral rays, as well 

 as by other characters, such as the large number of articulated rays in the dorsal. 



Mr. Lempriere states that it is known locally as the " red perch or shad," and that it 

 is considered to be a good fish for the table. 



VOL. III. — PART I. L 



