QUEENSLAND FISHES.— McCULLOCH. 173 



PARACENTROPOGON VESPA Ogilby 

 (Plats X, fig. 2.) 

 Paracentropogon vespa Ogilby, Xew Fish. Qld. Coast, 1910, p. 116. 



Br. 7 : D. xiv/8 ; A. iii/5 ; P. 10 ; V. 1/i ; C. 13 ; 22 tubular pores on the 

 lateral line between its origin and the hj'pural joint, and 1 on the base of the 

 caudal. 



Depth before the ventral fins almost 3 in the length to the hypural joint ; 

 head, to the end of the opercular lobe, 2-7 in the same. Eye 3-7 in the head, and 

 slightly longer than its distance from the end of the snout. Interorbital space 

 much less than the length of the snout, 1-5 in the eye. Third dorsal and anal 

 spines equal in length to the anterior dorsal and anal rays, and 1-6 in the head. 

 Pectoral fin 1-1 in the head. 



Profile \evy oblique from the snout to the origin of the dorsal fin, with 

 a depression above the premaxillary processes. Interorbital space with two bony 

 ridges on the upper end of Avhich are two short tentacles; behind these is a 

 median ridge before the first dorsal spine. Supraorbital ridges very prominent, 

 each with a short tentacle. Another ridge extends backward from the upper 

 margin of the orbit, and there are two short ridges between the eye and the 

 origin of the lateral line. Mandible projecting very slightly beyond the pre- 

 maxillaries. ]\Iouth ol^lique, maxilla extending backward to below the anterior 

 third of the eye. Anterior nostril situated just behind the middle of the snout, 

 with a short dermal tentacle ; posterior nostril preceded by a large open pore, 

 and placed just in front of the eye. Preorbital with two spines directed back- 

 ward, the anterior short, the posterior large and reaching to below the hinder 

 portion of the eye. Suborbital bone flat and unarmed. Preopereulum with 

 five spines, the uppermost of w^hich extends well beyond, the middle of the 

 operculum ; the others are small and scarcely project beyond the rounded 

 preopercular edge. Operculum with two diverging ridges which end in obtuse 

 spines ; its posterior portion forms a narrowly rounded lobe. Minute pores open 

 on the preopercular margin between each spine, while others are placed sym- 

 metrically on the head and neck above and behind the eye, and on the cheek. 

 preorbital, and mandible. A broad band of minute teeth on each of the pre- 

 maxillaries and one on each side of the mandible; a A-^^^^ped patch of similar 

 teeth on the vomer, and a patch on the end of each palatine bone. In the specimen 

 described and figured there is a rounded patch of teeth attached to the palatal 

 membranes in the angle of the vomerine patch, but this is not developed in other 

 specimen-S. Pseudobranchioe well developed; no slit behind the last gill-arch. 



The back is highest at the base of the fifth dorsal spine, behind which it 

 descends evenly to the caudal peduncle. Head, anterior portion of the back, 

 pectoral region, and abdomen naked, but imperfect scales are present beneath 

 the skin on the greater portion of the sides and caudal peduncle. Lateral line 

 extending in an oblique line from the shoulder to the middle of the caudal 

 peduncle ; it forms a complete canal from which minute tubules open obliquely 

 upwards. 



