FISHES— MCCULLOCH. 



^9 



CongromurcBna longicauda, Ramsay & Ogilby, Proc. Linn. 

 Soc. N.S. Wales (2), ii., 1888, p. 1022. 

 A single specimen from Port Arthur, Tasmania, belongs to 

 the long-tailed form of this species. Comparison with five 

 other Australian specimens and one from New Zealand shows 

 that the lengths of the body and tail are variable and have no 

 specific value. As this is the only character which can be 

 relied upon to distinguish C. longicauda from C. hahenata, the 

 former name can no longer stand. 



Family MYRID^. 

 Genus Mur.^mchthys, Bleeker. 



MUR.^NICHTHVS TASMANIENSIS, Sp. HOV. 



(Fig. 50 

 Body worm-like, the depth 3.3 in the head. Head 12.8 in 

 the total length, and 4.3 in the space between the gill opening 

 and the vent. Eye 3.2 in the snout, which is long and obtusely 

 pointed, and 4.8 in the head. Cleft of mouth extending far 

 behind the eye, and 2.'^ in the head; a longitudinal fold below 

 the end of the mouth. Tube of anterior nostril with a minute 

 exterior lobe ; flap covering the posterior nostril overhanging 

 the lip and placed below the anterior portion of the eye. 

 Teeth in single rows on the jaws and palate ; three or four 

 larger ones on either side of the vomer. Rows of widely- 

 spaced pores extend along each jaw, on the upper surface of 

 the snout and behind the eyes. Gill-opening narrow, about as 

 wide as the eye. The lateral line appears to be almost straight 

 anteriorly, but the sides of the head between the gill-opening 

 and the preoperculum are considerably damaged and render 

 this character uncertain. Vent well in advance of the middle 

 of the length, its distance from the tip of the snout 1.4 in the 

 tail. Dorsal and anal fins very low, almost rudimentary. 

 Origin of the dorsal a trifle nearer the tip of the snout than 

 the tail, its distance from the vent equal to the length of the 

 head. 



FIG. 5. 



Colour. — Pale green in formalin, the upper portion 

 speckled with minute brown dots which are of uniform size. 

 Anteriorly they are confined to the upper half of the body, 

 but posteriorly they approach the lower surface. On the 

 head they extend onto the sides and the lower jaw. 



Length 170 mm. One specimen from the entrance to Oyster 

 .Bay, Tasmania. 



