QUEENSLAXD FISHES.— McCTLLOCH. 167 



SYNODUS SIMILIS sp. nov. 

 (Plate VIII, fig. 2.) 



Br. 15 ; D. 13 ; A. 9 ; P. ] 3 ; V. 8 ; C. 19 ; L. lat. oS ■ L. tr. 3^/6. Depth of the 

 body before the ventrals slightly h_^ss than its breadth, and about one-seventh of 

 the length to the hypural joint ; head 3-5 in the same. Eye 1-2 in the snout, and 

 5-1 in the head; interorbital width 1-3 in the eye. Third dorsal ray 1-8, third 

 anal ray 3-1, and pectoral fin 2-1 in the head. 



Body subcylindrical, a little broader than deep. . Sncut pointed, its width 

 at the base distinctly greater than its length; jaws subequal. Nostrils close 

 together, nearer the eye than the end of the snout; each has a rather large 

 opening, and the first has a cutaneous lobe posteriorly. Eye with narrow adipose 

 membranes anteriorly and posteriorly. Interorbital space a little concave. 

 Cranium with some radiating ridges ])ehind the eye and across the occiput. 

 ]\Iouth oblique, premaxilla extending about two-thirds of an eye-diameter beyond 

 the eye. Preopercular margin rounded, without a free edge, with numerous 

 mucigerous canals extending from it onto the operculum; operculum unarmed, 

 with a broad membranaceous border. 



A single row of fixed, spaced, and compressed teeth along the outer edge 

 of each premaxillary bone is covered by the lips; directly inside this row is 

 another of more numerous, longer, and depressible teeth which are exposed when 

 the mouth is closed. ^^landibular teeth similar, in three rows, the outer row 

 smallest and fixed, the other two depressible and the innermost largest. The 

 symphyses of both jaws are toothless, but there are a few enlarged teeth on each 

 side of that of the mandible. A long l)and of depressible teeth on each palatine 

 arranged in four rows: the innermost teeth are largest and they increase in 

 size forwards and are enlarged anteriorly. Lingual teeth depressible in about 

 five rows anteriorly, the outermost of which are largest; these are followed by 

 a l)and of small teeth. 



Body covered with cycloid scales Avhich have ])road membranaceous 

 borders. There are ai)out fifteen between the occiput and the dorsal fin. Lateral 

 line straight from the shoulder to the caudal peduncle ; its scales are not keeled, 

 and scarcely differentiated from the others. About five transverse rows of 

 cycloid scales en the cheek, and two on the upper portion of the operculum. A 

 few rather elongate scales both above and below the base of the pectoral fin, and 

 above that of the ventral ; an enlarged pennate scale en the base of each caudal 



lobe. 



Origin of the dorsal fin almost midway l)etween the end of the snout and 

 the adipose dorsal ; the third and longest ray reaches a little beyond the base of 

 the last when adpressed. The two anterior dorsal rays are simple, and the last 

 is double. Adipose dorsal inserted above the middle cf the anal fin. The latter 

 is short and composed of simple rays ; the last is double. Pectoral fin short, not 

 (luite reaching the vertical of the first dorsal ray. Ventrals inserted between 

 the verticals of the pectoral and dorsal origins; the inner and outer rays are 



