EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND.— OGILBY. 63 



■of the ventral being strongly convex and bluntly cultriform between the isthmus 

 and the anal fin ; width of body 2-8 to 3 in its depth, which is 2-33 to 2-5 5 in its 

 length and three fifths to three fourths more than the length of the head; 

 abdominal region short, its length 1-65 to 1-8 in that of the anal; caudal peduncle 

 very slender, considerably deeper than wide, its width 2-25 to 2-5 in the eye- 

 diameter. Head small, its upper profile moderately acclivous, evenly convex in 

 small examples, becoming linear with increasing age, its length 3-95 to 44 in that 

 of the body, its width 1-7 to 1-85 in its depth, which is subequal to its length; 

 cranio-nuchal keel inconspicuous. Snout short and blunt, its length 1-33 to 145 

 in the eye-diameter, which is 2-8 to 2-95 in the length of the head ; adipose lid 

 narrow in front, moderately developed but not reaching the pupil behind; 

 interorbital region low and gently convex, its width 1-15 to 1-25 in the eye- 

 diameter. Jaws subequal in small examples, the lower prominent in the larger ; 

 maxillary extending to below the anterior border of the pupil, its length 2-4 to 

 245 in that of the head, the width of its convex distal extremity 1-8 to 24 times 

 its distance from the eye and 245 to 2-25 in the eye-diameter. Preopercular 

 border entire. 



Jaws with a single series of small conical teeth ; similar teeth in a triangular 

 patch on the head of the vomer, in a narrow band on the palatines, and in a 

 broader band on the tongue. 



Entire body except the nuchal ridge covered with rather large conspicuous 

 scales ; cheeks and temples scaly, the rest of the head naked ; preopercle crossed 

 by numerous simple or bifid mucous canals; nuchal canal conspicuous and 

 pinnated, extending to the procumbent spine. Lateral line forming a short and 

 rather high curve to below the -4th or 5th dorsal ray, the length of the curved 

 section 1-8 to 1-95 in that of the straight, which is armed throughout with 41 to 

 45 wide keeled scales, the widest 14 to 1-25 in the eye-diameter. 



Dorsal fin with viii, i 25 or 26 rays 6 ; spinous dorsal moderate, originating 

 behind the pectoral-base, procumbent spine small and concealed; spines weak 

 and flexible, the 3rd longest, 245 to 2-25 in the length of the head. Soft dorsal 

 originating one fourth nearer to the tip of the snout than to the root of the 

 caudal, the anterior six rays graduated and but little produced, the 1st longest, 

 .about two fifths longer than the 3rd spine, 6-25 to 6-6 in the body-length, and 

 extending when depressed to the 9th ray ; last ray not produced. Caudal fin 

 deeply and rather widely forked, the upper lobe the longer, its length 34 to 3-67 

 in that of the body. Anal fin with ii, i 21 or 22 rays, originating below the 4th 

 dorsal ray 7 ; free spines well developed, the 2nd much the longer, 1-3 to 1-5 in 

 the eye-diameter and 1-9 to 24 in the 1st ray, which is 2 to 24 in the length of 

 the head. Pectoral with 21 rays, its length 345 to 345 in that of the body and 

 from one fifth to two sevenths more than the length of the head ; 5th ray longest, 



6 Writing of 43 examples McCulloch says — ' ' they vary greatly in depth, two specimens 

 •of equal size being 2.4 and 2.8 in length." 



As has been remarked elsewhere there is a tendency among Australian specimens 

 towards an increase in the number of dorsal and anal rays. 



7 In Day 's figure the soft dorsal and anal originate opposite one another. 



