FISHES.-MCCULLOCH. 



35 



the preoperculum, as described by Castelnau, but I find this 

 to be a verv unreliable character, some specimens having the 

 ridges and denticulations distinctly, though feebly, developed, 

 "while in others there is no trace of them. 



The following description is drawn up from all the material 

 available to me : — 



D. vi.-vii. i.-ii. 26-33; A. iii. 21-23; P. 20-21; \'. i. 5; 

 C. 17; 1. lat. about go. Depth 2'6, head 3^ to 3^, pectoral 

 3 to 3'4, base of dorsal i'7, base of anal 3 to 3*2 in length 

 to the hypural. Caudal peduncle 3*5. Eye-opening 4 to 4'5. 

 Vertical diameter of orbit 3*4 to 4 in the head. 



Body compressed, rather deep, its dorsal and ventral pro- 

 files almost equally arched, covered with moderate cycloid 

 scales, those of the lateral line somewhat smaller than the 

 others. Caudal peduncle narrow. Whole upper surface and 

 sides of the head covered with a thick fleshy skin which largely 

 hides the scales and other characters beneath it. Snout tumid, 

 the nostrils placed close together and nearer the end of the 

 snout than the eye, the anterior the largest and rounded, the 

 posterior slit-like. Mouth oblique, maxillary small and weak, 

 and reaching to or a little beyond the vertical of the anterior 

 margin of the eye. Preorbital narrow, its margin smooth or 

 crenulated. Eye large, placed in the middle line of the head. 

 Bones of the head very weak, their margins either feebly 

 denticulated or smooth ; posterior margin of the preoperculum 

 emarginate, the angle produced and broadly rounded. Oper- 

 culum terminating in a very thin flat point margined with 

 skin. Teeth extremely fine and small, arranged in a single 

 row on each jaw ; vomer, palatines and tongue toothless. 



Dorsal fin commencing a little before, over, or behind the 

 base of the pectoral ; the spinous portion is low and the middle 

 spines the longest. If present, the*second spine of the second 

 dorsal is generally higher than any of those of the first ; the 

 second and third rays are the longest and about as long as 

 the distance between the tip of the snout and the hinder 

 margin of the eye. The two first spines of the anal are short 

 and thick and somewhat detached from the rest of the fin ; 

 third spine longer and weaker and adpressed to the first ray. 

 Soft portion of the fin similar to, but lower than, the second 

 dorsal. Pectoral falcate reaching to or beyond the vertical of 

 the first anal ray. Ventrals rather small, placed below the 

 posterior base of the pectorals, and reaching about two-thirds 

 of the distance between their insertion and the vent. Caudal 

 deeply forked. 



Colour. — Body with large somewhat irregular blotches dis- 

 tributed over its upper half, of which the most conspicuous is a 



