L24 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 



the length of the head ; caudal peduncle deeper than long, its least depth 

 5-6 in the length of the body. Anterior profile of head from the lip to above 

 the middle of the eye linear and strongly acclivous, the upper profile gently 

 rounded; width of head 1-65 in its length, which is 1-2 in its depth and 2-7 

 in the body-length. Snout 1-6 in the very large eye, which is 2-3 in the 

 length of the head; interorbital region strongly convex, its width 3-8 in the 

 length of the head. Maxillary extending to below the middle of the eye, its 

 length 1-6 in that of the head, its distal extremity obtusely angular and greatly 

 dilated, its width one third of its length and 2-1 in the eye-diameter. Angle 

 of preopercle broadly rounded, armed with a few very feeble serrulas. 



Scale formula 16/48/25. Head-scales much smaller than those of the 

 body, decreasing in size anteriorly ; only the extreme tip of the snout, the lips, 

 and the chin naked. 



Dorsal fin with viii 14 rays, originating above the pectoral-base, the soft 

 portion three fifths longer than the spinous; spines strong and pungent, the 

 first very short, evenly graduated to the last, which is half the length of the 

 head ; 1st ray terminating in a simple filament, rather more than twice as long 

 as the last spine; 2nd ray about one third longer than the 1st; 3rd ray very 

 long, reaching far beyond the tip of the caudal and rather more than the 

 body-length; 4th ray about half as long as the 3rd, those behind growing 

 gradually shorter, the last being about 2-33 in the 1st. Middle caudal rays 1-8 

 in the outer divided rays and one third of the total length. Anal fin with iii 12 

 rays originating below the 4th dorsal ray and extending backwards well behind 

 that fin, its length slightly more than that of the soft dorsal ; spines strong and 

 graduated, the last about as long as the 7th dorsal spine and 2-5 in the length of 

 the head; rays graduated as in the soft dorsal, but much shorter, the 3rd 1-8 in 

 the body-length. Pectoral with 16 rays, the upper two simple, its length 1-33 in 

 that of the head ; 4th and 5th rays longest, extending to below the anterior 

 dorsal rays. Ventral spine rather weak, two thirds of the second and longest 

 ray, which is 1-6 in the head and extends to the vent. 



Gill-rakers 10-)-18, the longest 1-5 time the length of the gill-fringes and 

 4-9 in that of the head. 



Uniform reddish brown, the middle of the scales lighter; many of the 

 scales on the upper surface of the head lavender; cheeks and opercles lighter 

 brown, with a yellowish tinge ; a broad dark brown band from below the eye to 

 the edge of the lower preopercular limb ; a second narrower band from the 

 parietal region to midway along the hinder limb of the preopercle; a third 

 from the pectoral-base to the nape, along the side of which it is curved abruptly 

 forward to meet its fellow narrowly on the nuchal arch. Fins lighter than the 

 body, except the dorsal, caudal, and anal filaments, which are blackish. 



