EDIBLE FISHES OF QV KFNSLAND—OCILBT. 71 



length and equal to or soinewliat less tlian the length of the liead. Abdomen 

 moderate, its length fi-om ventral base to vent 3-28 to 3-37 in that of the body 

 and 1-25 to 1-33 in the space between the vent and the root of the caudal. 

 Caudal peduncle a little longer than deep, its least depth 2-8 to 3 in the length 

 of the head. Head about one half deeper than wide, its upper profile linear 

 or feebly concave, that of the nape gently rounded, its width 2 to 2-25 in its 

 length, which is 3-25 to 34 in that of the body. Snout pointed, with scarcely' 

 a trace of anterior gibbosity, its profile moderately acclivous, its length 3-5 to 

 3-63 in that of the head. Diameter of eye one fourth to three fifths less than 

 the length of the snout and 4-44 to 5-5 in that of the head. Preorbital narrow, 

 its least width 2-5 to 2-7.5 in the e.ye-diameter. Interorbital region of moderate 

 width and convex, equal to or a little less than the eye-diameter, and 5 to 5-33 

 in the length of the head. Nostrils approximate, the posterior much the larger 

 and situated directly in front of the inferior moiety of the uiiper half of the 

 eye. Upper jaw slightly overhanging; cleft of mouth oblique, rising to well 

 above the lower border of the eye; maxillary smooth, extending to below or 

 a little beyond the hinder border of the pupil, its length 2-4 to 2-.'5 in that of 

 the head, the width of its undulous hinder border about half of the eye-diameter. 

 Preopercle with the angle and hinder limbs .sparsely serrated, the serrje 

 disappearing with age; opercle with two flexible points; pcsttemporal feebly 

 erenulate. 



Upper jaw witli a band of small teeth, triserial in front, narrowing to 

 uni.serial behind, and an outer row of strong, hooked, widely set, subulate teeth, 

 of which the second anterior tooth on each side is the large.st; lower jaw with 

 a similai- band, but tlie outer is enlarged anteriorly only, while laterally the 

 inner row is similarly enlarged and subulate. 



Scales of body small and finely ctenoid, in 85 to 90 series above the 

 lateral line, in 11 or 12/1/19 to 21 below the spinous dorsal; scales of head, 

 except those of the opercle and occiput cycloid ; only the tip of the snout, 

 preorbitals, and chin naked ; on the body they are arranged in oblique rows 

 both above and below the lateral line, except on the breast. A single series of 

 scales forms a sheath at the base of the soft dorsal, and another series of smaller 

 scales covers fully one half of the membrane between the rays ; small scales 

 cover the basal two thirds of the caudal, and the bases of the anal and pectoral 

 fins are sparseh- scaly. Lateral line forming a long gentle curve to below the 

 middle of the soft dorsal, thence horizontal and extending to the tip of the 

 caudal fin, the tube-bearing .scales 51 to 54, the tubes, which do not quite reach 

 to the border of the scale, each provided with several ascending and de.scending 

 tubules of varying length. Tip of snovit with a pair of median pores arranged 

 longitudinally, and two lateral pores on each side ; mandibular poi-es arranged 

 in tliree jiair, the anterior pair being the smallest and I'ound, the others 

 increasingly apart and slit-like. 



Dorsal fins with x, i 27 or 28 rays, the first originating above the pectoral- 

 base, the last spine partly united to but much shorter than that of the soft 



