162 DR. RICHARDSON'S DESCRIPTION OF AUSTRALIAN FISH. 



The branchial slit has a very narrow, smooth membranous margin : it is short, verti- 

 cal, more than its own length below the level of the orbit, and only the breadth of a 

 single small temporal scale behind it. The pectoral stands obUquely in an oval mem- 

 branous space, which is separated from the gill-opening by a narrow plate. 



Radii.— V. 11 ; D. 11 ; A. 11; C. 11. 



The numbers of rays vary a little, there being in some individuals a ray more in one 

 of the fins, in others one less : they are all articulated. The first pectoral ray is very 

 short ; the anterior rays of the vertical fins are simple, the others branched, and the 

 three exterior caudal rays above and below are more closely approximated to each other 

 and simpler than the rest. All the fins are rounded in outline. 



Spines. — The anterior dorsal spine rises from the hinder half of the orbit, and the 

 margin of the orbit being also elevated, the forehead when viewed in front appears to 

 be deeply concave. The second dorsal spine is about mid-way between the orbit and 

 dorsal fin, and the third is nearly equidistant from the second spine and that fin, con- 

 sequently the two posterior spines are nearer to each other than the second is to the 

 first. The foremost ventral spine is beneath the gill-opening, and is generally less than 

 the others. The hindmost one is a very little before the anus, and the middle one is 

 nearly opposite to the space between the two hinder dorsal ones. One of the speci- 

 mens has five ventral spines on one side, but presents only the normal number of three 

 on the other. The lateral spine is nearly under the posterior dorsal one. All the spines 

 are finely striated lengthwise, both in young and old specimens. 



Colour. — From long maceration in spirits the original tints of colour have doubtless 

 perished in our specimens, but the configurations of their markings can be still traced 

 with ease. The belly in all appears to have been of an uniform pale colour without 

 spots or lines. A series of dark stripes, narrower than the intervening pale spaces, runs 

 backwards from the hps. There are five of these lines beneath the orbit ; the lowest of 

 which originates at the under lip and marks out backwards the junction of the sides 

 and belly : the next one comes from the angle of the mouth, and the third from the 

 upper lip, and runs in the naked fine of the cheek : both these pass under the pectoral 

 fin towards the anal. The two other cheek-lines, as well as higher ones which are cut 

 by the orbit, cross the forehead to join their fellows, and in their course backwards 

 over the back and sides they are variously undulated and even spirally curved, the 

 exact pattern varying on diflferent sides of the same individual. Three of these dark 

 lines show conspicuously on the smooth naked spaces which inclose the dorsal and anal 

 fins ; and five on the tail, of which three reach the bases of the caudal rays. When 

 the younger specimens were newly taken from the alcohol, the pale ground colour had 

 a pearly lilac tint, and the dark lines were purplish-brown. In the old specimens a 

 brown epidermis obscures the markings and darkens the belly. The fin membranes are 

 destitute of colour. Judging from the number of specimens in Mr. Lempriere's col- 

 lection and in the British Museum, this appears to be the most common species. 



