172 DR. RICHARDSON'S DESCRIPTION OF AUSTRALIAN FISH. 



In. Lin. 



Length of pectorals 5^ 



Length of second dorsal 12^ 



Length of anal 1 I 



Length of caudal 10 



Height of body at the point of the pelvic bone 18 



Height of the tail near the caudal fin 3 



Length of naked tail between the vertical fins 7 



Thickness of the body 6 



Aleuteres paragaudatus (Nob.), Trim Leather Jacket. 



Aleuteres paragaudatus, Richardson, Zool. Proceed., March 10, 1840. • 



Al. retro-scaher ; dorso fere recto ab ore adpinnam secundam ; ventre regulariter convexo ; 

 pinnd cauda rotundatd sub finem nigro fasciatd ; colore corporis murino ? ; fascia 

 pallida (flavd) e mento per pinnam pectoralem medio in latere tractd, sub qua lined 

 caruled ; lined altera caruled e mento per oculum et ultra extensd ; corpore subtus et 

 postice guttis ceeruleis pulchr^ interstincto. 



We have named this very handsome Aleuteres in allusion to the gay striped vestments 

 of the Roman ladies termed ' Paragaudcs.' It appears to be common at Port Arthur ; 

 and Mr. Lempriere remarks, that when recent it is ornamented in a beautiful manner 

 on the sides with blue and yellow stripes, and on the tail with blue spots. The abdo- 

 men of one specimen was distended by a large Idotea (Fabr.) full of roe, its tail pro- 

 truding at the anus ; and the other had a smaller specimen of the same insect in its 

 gut. Even the smallest of these Idotea was many times larger than the size of the 

 mouth, and could scarcely have made its way out by the anus. This Aleuteres is said 

 not to exceed six inches in length. 



Form. — In the dorsal spine, dermal asperities, and shape of the fins and tail, this 

 species exactly resembles A. maculosus ; but the body is more elongated, the back in 

 particular being more nearly straight, up to the second dorsal, so that its profile from 

 the mouth forms a very acute angle with the axis of the fish. The belly is not so pro- 

 minent as in maculosus, the curve of its profile being regular from the under jaw to the 

 end of the anal fin. The height of the body, at the point of the pelvic bone, is exactly 

 half the length of the distance between the mouth and the setting on of the stump 

 of the tail behind the anal and dorsal fins. The length of that portion of the tail is 

 about one-sixth of the total length of the fish, caudal included, while its height is equal 

 to one-fourth of that of the body. The under jaw is longer than the upper one, giving 

 the mouth the same obliquity as in maculosus. 



Rays.—Br. 6 - 6 ; P. 12 ; D. 2| - 34 ; A. 32 ; C. 12. 



The second spine of the first dorsal is very slender and short, as in maculosus. The 

 first ray of the second dorsal is articulated at the tip, but it requires the aid of a good 

 lens to see the joints. 



