NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF QUEENSLAND FISHES.— McCULLOCH. 55 



Family HALIOPHID.E. 



Body elongate, covered with rudimentary scales imbedded in the skin. 

 Lateral line incomplete. Head with several series of mucous canals extending 

 around the eye, preoperculum, mandible, and nape. Operculum with a strong 

 spine. Gill-opening lateral, the membranes broadly united with the isthmus. 

 Teeth strong, in one or more series on the jaws. Vomer toothed, palatines 

 smooth. Dorsal and anal confluent with the caudal, composed of soft rays, the 

 former preceded by a strong spine. Pectorals well developed; ventrals present 

 or absent. 



Includes two genera — Haliophis, Riippell, and Blennodesmus, Giinther. 



This family is closely allied to Congrogadida?, but differs in the possession 

 of a dorsal spine and vomerine teeth, while the gill-membranes are united with 

 the isthmus instead of being free. 



Genus HALIOPHIS, Riippell. 



HALIOPHIS MALAYANUS, Weber. 

 Haliophis vialayanus, Weber, " Siboga" Exped., Fische, lvii., 1913, p. 550, fig. 120. 



Seven specimens are in the old collection of the Australian Museum, which 

 agree very well with Weber's description and figure. 



Loc. — Derby, North-Western Australia. 



Genus BLENNODESMUS, Giinther. 



Blennodesmus, Giinther, Proe. Zool. Soc, 1871, p. 103 (B. scapularis, Giinther). 



Giinther overlooked the strong, partially adpressed spine before the dorsal 

 when defining this genus. In this detail it agrees with Haliophis, but differs 

 in having minute ventral fins and smaller scales, while the vomerine teeth are 

 also less developed. 



BLENNODESMUS SCAPULARIS, Giinther. 

 Blennodesmus scapularis, Giinther, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1871, p. 103, pi. lxvii., fig. a. 



The relative proportions of the head and body and the tail vary in 

 different specimens, the length from the tip of the lower jaw to the vent being 

 2.7-3 in the total. The largest specimen examined is 81 mm. long. 



Locs. — Masthead Island, off Port Curtis, Queensland ; in coral pools. Shark 

 Bay, Western Australia. Derby, North- Western Australia. 



