EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND.— OGILBY. 95 



anterior rays produced, the 1st the longest, varying in length from 3-66 in the 

 young to 2-9 in the adult, or even in individual eases to 2-6 in the body-length, 

 and extending when depressed to between the base of the antepenultimate and 

 the tip of the last ray, which is not produced. Caudal fin very long and deeply 

 forked, the lobes acute, the upper the longer, 2-65 to 2-15 in the body-length. 

 Anal fin with ii, i 21 to 25 rays, originating below the 3rd or 4th dorsal ray, its 

 lobe as high as or higher than that of the soft dorsal, 3-65 to 2-2 in the length of 

 the body and extending when depressed to between the last ray and the proximal 

 fifth of the lower caudal lobe. Pectoral pointed, with 17 rays, its length 5 to 6-2 

 in that of the body, 4th ray longest, reaching in the young to above the free anal 

 spines, in the adult not to the level of the vent. Ventral small, inserted well 

 behind the pectoral-base, its length 1-33 to 1-8 in that of the pectoral and 7 

 to 11-25 in that of the body; 2nd ray longest, extending to the vent or not 

 quite so far. 



Gill-rakers moderately long and strong, 4 to 8 -+- 13 to 15 on the anterior 

 arch, the longest 6-5 to 7 in the length of the head and as long as the gill-fringes. 

 Vent midway between the origin of the ventral and the 1st or 2nd anal ray. 



Upper surfaces dark blue-gray, shading to silvery below the lateral line, 

 the breast and abdomen milk white ; a series of six or seven vertically oval dark 

 spots on each side ; these are mostly above the lateral line only the anterior 

 two, or rarely three, crossing it inf eriorly, though one or more of the others may 

 touch it; these spots are sometimes obscure or, though rarely, absent in the 

 young. Dorsal, caudal, and anal lobes indigo blue. (Botla: the native name 

 of the species at Vizagapatam according to Russell.) 



Described from a fine series of six graded specimens, measuring respec- 

 tively 131, 141, 155, 225, 240, and 328 millim., obtained in Moreton Bay, and 

 presented to the Queensland Museum by Messrs. Jolliffe, Palmer (3), and the 

 Amateur Fishermen's Association of Queensland (3). 



Specific name: — We have found it necessary to reinstate Shaw's name 

 for our fish in the place of the more commonly employed T. russellii, because both 

 Shaw and Valenciennes founded their names on Russell's figure, and there can 

 be, therefore, no justification for rejecting the earlier name. 



Historical: — First described and figured by Russell in 1803, it does not 

 seem to have attracted further notice until thirty years had elapsed, when 

 Valenciennes recorded a specimen sent to him by Sonnerat from Pondicherry, 

 which he believed to be the same species as Russell's " botla-parah.'" About the 

 same time he received from Java, through those energetic and unfortunate young 

 explorers Kuhl and van Hasselt and simultaneously from Pondicherry through 

 Dussumier, a trachinote, which he separated from his T. russelii under the name 

 T. oblongus. No valid characters distinguishing the two forms are, however, 

 given, and they are now generally admitted to be identical. Bleeker and Giinther, 



