DR. RICHARDSON'S DESCRIPTION OF AUSTRALIAN FISH. 1G3 



Dimensions. 



Lin. In. 



Total length, caudal included 6 6 



Length from mouth to lateral spine 3 3 



Length from mouth to gill-opening 1 ^3 



Length from mouth to centre of eye 1 5| 



Diameter of eye 5 



Diameter of largest specimen 7 



Length of dorsal spines 10 



Length of pectorals 10 



Height of dorsal 10 



Height of anal 8 



Length of tail between cuirass and caudal 10 



Length of caudal fin 1 1 



Vertical diameter of body 3 3 



Otracion spilogaster (Nob.), Spot-bellied Pig-fish. — Ostracionspilog aster, Richardson, 



Zool. Proceed., March 10, 1841. 



Tab. X. Fig. 1. 

 Os. (Aracana) ventre maculato ; laterihus dorsoque lineis interruptis vittatis, quarum 

 quatuor sub oculo, tribusque in basibus pinnarum dor si et ani et tribus anastomo- 

 santibus prope finem pinna cauda. 



This species resembles the preceding in form, but its profile is still more oval, the 

 muzzle projecting less beyond the general curve ; and the under jaw in particular unites 

 more evenly with the profile of the belly. The forehead is concave though narrower 

 thau that of auritus, and there is a gibbosity of the cuirass immediately before the 

 dorsal, which is also perceptible in auritus. The spines are rather smaller than in 

 auritus, and there is only a rudimentary anterior ventral one in our solitary example 

 of spilogaster. The grains which roughen the surface of the cuirass encroach on the 

 base of the spines, which is not the case in auritus. There is a smooth, membranous 

 furrow running from the anus to the middle of the ventral keel, which may possibly 

 be an individual peculiarity. The cuirass terminates rather sooner than in auritus, as 

 it does not pass the middle of the anal and dorsal fins, but its bounding line exhibits 

 nearly the same curves. The small grains which cover the hexagonal plates closely, 

 show less appearance of radiation than in our oldest specimen of auritus. A section of 

 body is more compressed than that of the latter. 



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



The first ray of the pectoral is still shorter than in auritus. 



Colour. — The belly is pale blue or white, with oval and round, moderately large brown 

 spots scattered over it. Under the eye there are four pale stripes, not so broad as the 

 intervening ground colour, which is purpUsh brown on the head, sides and back. Two 



