AUSTRALIAN OOTillP^ McCULLOCH AND OOILP.Y. 287 



Golour-mnrhinrf. — Body completely bleached after long preservation 

 in alcohol. The spines of the first dorsal dark towards the tip ; second 

 dorsal with some large light spots near the base and on the posterior rays. 

 Caudal with some obscure darker spots. For details of the colour- 

 marking of fresh_>specimens, see Ogilby--' and Waite^-*. 



Described from a specimen 87 mm. long, from the Clarence River, 

 which is believed to be one of Krefft's typical specimens. Its history is 

 incomplete, but it tallies with the original description. 



Sexual <li»iorphi.'i)». — Two examples in the Macleay Museum fi'om 

 the Tweed Kiver, 66-67 mm. long, exhibit sexual dimorphism similar to 

 that which we have described and figured under ('. Jdtmzinyeri. In the 

 larger example the space between the snout and the doisal fin is greatly 

 swollen, the profile forming a very convex curve ; in the smaller specimen 

 these parts are normal. They agree in all other details of both form and 

 colour-mai'king, and are clearly identical with C. rompressus. 



Variation. — Nineteen specimens from several localities, indicate that 

 this species varies considerably both in its general foi^m and colour- 

 marking. Adults of about the same size from Jervis Bay and Port Darwin 

 have the depth at the ventrals 46 (C. lotK/i) and 8"8 (('. elevtitnx) 

 i^espectively, but others are more or less intermediate between these 

 extremes. The number of fin rays and spines, and the scales, vaiy as 

 follows: D. vi-vii/9-10; A. 10-12; Sc. long. 27-30; Sc. tr. 9. The 

 striking colour-marking of the vertical fins as described and figured by 

 Ogilby and Waite is characteristic of adult specimens in breeding condition, 

 and it is appai^eutly more or less developed in all fresh examples, but 

 may be iiidistiuct in specimens in alcohol. Variation similar to the 

 foregoing was noted by Giinther in 1867. 



Synouy)}!)/. — The variation in form of this species has caused several 

 authors to bestow a number of names upon it. 



The identity of Eleotris brevirnt^frls, Steindachner, and C. rcynqtresstts, 

 Krefft, was recognised b}' O'Shaughnessy in 1875. 



Though differing from its description in several important details, 

 the specimen in the Macleay Museum labelled as Eleotrls elevutns from 

 Port Darwin, is evidently that on which Macleaj- founded the species. It 

 agrees well with his crude figure, and is structurally similar to C. 

 compress Its, and exhibits traces of the characteristic markings of that 

 species. It lias the following chai^acters. D. vi/8?, both fins imperfect ; 

 A. 10 ; twenty-eight rows of scales between the upper base of the pectoral 

 and the hvpural joint, and nine between the anterior dorsal and anal rays. 

 Depth at ventials SS in the length to the hypural joint, head 35 in the 

 same. Eye equal to the length of the snout, 4 6 in the head, and 16 in 

 the interocular space. 



Eleotiix reliciiJatux, Klunziuger, also from Poi't Darwin, is evidently 

 based on a rather slender, and impei'fectly marked example of C 

 compresstts. 



23 Ogilby— Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.Wales, xxi.. 1897, p. 73.^,. 



■^* Waite— Eee. Austr. Mus., v., 1904, p. 280, pi. xxxiv., tig. 1. 



