240 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



ruriKjithioihin melanosomu, Bleeker, Resell. Faun. Madagascar, 1875, p. 78, 

 and Arch. NeerJ. Sci. Nat., xiii., 1878, p. 54. 



Ritppellld echiuorcphuhi, Jordan & Richardson, Check-list Fish. Pliilippine 

 Islands, 1910, p. 47. /./., 0<?ilby, Mem. Qld. Miis., ii., 1913, p. 92. 



Rii/ipellia vielanosfmui, Jordan & Richardson, Lac cit. 



I), vi/10; A. 10; P. 20; V. i/5 ; C. 17. 24 scales between the axil 

 and the hypural joint, and 10 between the anterior dorsal and anal rays. 



Depth 'A in the lenfjtli to the hypural joint; head 3 2 in the same. 

 Eye 37 in the head, a trifle longer than the snout, and IG in the in- 

 terocular space. Breadth before the bases of the pectorals 14 in the 

 depth ; depth of tlie caudal peduncle 1'7 in the head. 



Head a little deeper than long, naked, with bri.stle-Iike filaments ; 

 these are longest and most numerous on the lower surfaces, while they 

 also cover the operculum and occiput, and leave the upper portion of the 

 cheek and side of the neck bare. Some large open pores are present on 

 the preopercular border, behind the eye, and on the interorbital area. 

 Eyes in the anterior half of the head, separated by a wide convex in- 

 terorbital space. Snout very obtuse, the anterior profile subvertical, the 

 uj)per arched evenly backward to the dorsal spines; chin {)rominent. 

 Mouth subvertical, the maxilla reaching to below the anterior border of 

 the eye. Nostiils large, the anterior in a tube near the lip, the pos- 

 teiior almost above the maigin of the eye and with, a raised margin. A 

 band of villiform teeth in each jaw, the outer ones enlarged anteiiorly ; 

 a strong inner canine on each side of the mandibular symphysis, followed 

 by two or three smaller ones towards the sides. Tongue thick, rounded 

 anteriorly and free. Gill-openings opposite and about as wide as the 

 ba.ses of the pectorals, narrower than the isthmus separating them ; 

 shoulder-girdle smooth. 



Body short and thick, with large ctenoid scales which commence 

 abrupty on an oblique line extending from the axil to the anteiior dorsal 

 ray ; abdomen largely scaly, the base of the pectoral and the breast 

 naked, the latter with filaments similar to those of the head. Median 

 row of body scales with vertical series of minute mucigerous pai)illa\ 

 Genital pa[)illa large. 



Fii'st dorsal fin rounded and connected with the base of the second 

 by membrane; the fourth spine is longest, and about once and two-thirds 

 as long as the eye. Second dorsal somewhat rounded and highei' than 

 the fiist, the median rays longest, the posterior not reaching the base of 

 the caudal. Anal o{)po8ite the soft dorsal, the rays increasing in height 

 to the eiglith. Pectoral laige and rounded, reaching to above the third 

 anal ray. Ventrals rounded and cup-shaped, their lower surfaces densely 

 papillose ; the spines are broad with a furrow on their anterior faces, and 

 bent backward at their tips; the}- suppoit a strong basal membrane. 

 Caudal rounded. 



l'iih>iir. — Uniformly bleached after long preservation in alcohol. 

 Uniform i-eddish-brown, according to Macleay. 



