94 DR. RICHARDSON'S DESCRIPTION OF AUSTRALIAN FISH. 



fourth spine there are two and sometimes three other incumbent ones, forming as it 

 were a continuation of the same ridge, bounding the occiput on each side, and termi- 

 nating over the attachment of the upper limb of the supra-scapular bone. The supra- 

 scapular is armed with two short spines, one over the other, as in some Scorpance, but 

 there is no ridge extending from them to the orbit as in these. None of the Sebastes 

 described in the ' Histoire des Poissons ' are stated to possess more than one supra-scapu- 

 lar spine. The scapular bone has a thin acute angle not spinous, which readily makes 

 its way through its thin covering of skin. The anterior infra-orbitar terminates above 

 in a spinous point, which reclines flat on the surface of the succeeding bone, and on the 

 inferior margin of the bone there are two projecting corners. The second infra-orbitar 

 is prolonged backwards to touch the preoperculum, and to be connected with it by 

 ligament ; its ridge is perceptible on the cheek, and in one of the specimens there is a 

 small spinous point near its middle. The preoperculum is armed with five stout spines, 

 the second of which is the largest, and the fifth is close to the articulation of the lower 

 jaw. Behind each there is a deep pit on the edge of the bone ; and there is also a deep 

 furrow on the upper tbird of the bone, where there are no spines. The bony operculum 

 terminates in two small spinous points, separated by a wide sinus, and resting on a car- 

 tilaginous flap, which is prolonged considerably beyond them. This flap belongs, as 

 usual, more properly to the suboperculum. There are no spinous points on the sub- 

 operculum or interoperculum. 



Rays. — Br. 7 — 7 ; D. 12|— 12 or 13 ; A. 3|5, the last divided to the base. 

 P. 10. viii. ; V. 1|5; C. 16. 



The third dorsal spine is the highest, and is equal to half the height of the fish, as in 

 imperialis. The others diminish in succession to the eleventh, which is rather shorter 

 than half the height of the third. The twelfth equals the ninth. Almost all of them 

 have a groove towards the tip. The soft dorsal is rather higher than the tallest spine. 

 The first anal spine is short, the second is stouter, and as long, or even rather longer 

 than the third : the soft rays arr twice the length of these spines. The naked space 

 between the anal and caudal is one-sixth of the total length of the fish, and its height 

 is equal to the diameter of the orbit, or to somewhat less than a tenth of the total 

 length. The pectoral is equal in length to one-fifth of the fish, and its axilla is scale- 

 less with a bony plate ; it contains eight simple rays. 



The scales on the lateral line are oblique, sixty-five in number, and densely tiled. 

 Behind the pectoral fins there are seven scales above and twenty below the lateral line 

 on each side. The scales of the forehead terminate on a line with the posterior third 

 of the orbit, the snout and space between the eyes being naked. There are small scales 

 on the anterior orbitar and maxillary bones, as well as on the membranes of the fins. 

 Three pores exist on each Umb of the lower jaw, and some are visible on the infra-orbitar 

 bones also. 



