REVIEW OF THE QUEENSLAND F0MACANTE1NJE.—0G1LBY. 107 



the 7th dorsal spine. Ventral from two thirds to nine tenths longer than the 

 pectoral, the spine 24 in the outer ray, which is much produced, 2 to 24 in 

 the body-length, and reaches to between the 2nd anal spine and the 3rd ray. 



Gill-rakers 4 4- 14, the 3 anterior on the upper limb rudimentary, the 

 rest very short but pointed. 



Golden green, with six or seven purple transverse bands as wide as or 

 somewhat narrower than the interspaces, in the smaller example these are con- 

 tinued on the bases of the dorsal and anal tins, or across the abdomen, or around 

 the peduncle, but in the larger example are wholly confined to the sides of the 

 body; each of the scales on the lighter body-bands has also a dull blue central 

 spot. Head and throat purple, uniform or blue-spotted, the former with a wide 

 silvery band extending downwards from the nane to or nearly to the preopercular 

 spine and entering the eye. Spinous dorsal golden green: soft dorsal, caudal, 

 and anal purplish brown, profusely adorned with circular blue spots; pectorals 

 brown, with a narrow suffused grayish border: ventrals uniform purple. 



Etymology: — Latin: sex, six; striatus, striped. 



Beg. No. in Queensland Museum of the specimens described: — I. 13/1455-6. 



Measurements of atypical Queensland example: — Sec p. 116. 



Range: — Seas of the Malay Archipelago eastward to the Gulf of Papua 

 and North-Eastern Queensland. 



Described originally from a Javanese example, sent to Paris by Kuhl and 

 van Hassett, Bleeker early extended its range in a northerly direction to Singa- 

 pore, where, however, it is probably scarce since it was unknown to Cantor, much 

 of whose material was collected there. Subsequently the great Dutch naturalist 

 obtained specimens from Celebes and Amboina, and in 1*77 he wrote in the 

 Atlas Ichthyologique, "Le sexstriatus n'a pas ete trouve jusqu'iei hors 

 1 'Insulinde. " Even within these limits it does not appear to be generally distri- 

 buted, as it has not been recorded from Borneo, nor have the American collectors 

 been more successful in the Philippines; from the Arou Islands too, which have 

 been fairly well exploited by Bleeker, Weber, and myself, it is as yet unrecorded, 

 and it is distinctly strange that so large and striking a species should have 

 entirely escaped the notice of the earlier Malayan historians, such as Ruysch, 

 Renard, and Valentyn, from which we may infer that it is not a common fish 

 among the Spice Islands. The earliest record of its occurrence in Australia 

 was published coincidentally with Bleeker 's remark above quoted, by Alleyne 

 and Macleay on the strength of "several large specimens taken near Cape Gren- 

 ville ' ' by members of the Chevert Expedition ■ incidentally this is the most 

 southerly station from which it has been as yet recorded ; in the following year 

 Macleay received it from Port Darwin, N.T. and two years later from Port 

 Moresby, B.N.G. Our specimens, three in number, come from Darnley Island. 



