FISHES.-MCCULLOCM. 



39 



tails, and that in one the dorsal and anal fins had grown 

 together around the injured portion, thereby giving it the 

 appearance of being perfect. Many examples of C. ausiralis 

 in the "Endeavour" collection exhibit this same peculiarity, 

 some having the tail so truncated and the anal rays so com- 

 plete around it that they almost seem to have heterocercal 

 instead of leptocercal tails. Dissection shows that the injured 

 vertebra spreads out into a cartilaginous fan somewhat 

 resembling a true hypural bone, to which the rays are movably 

 articulated. 



A large series of specimens, seventy-five in number, con- 

 clusively proves that C. mortoni, Ogilby (the type specimen 

 of which is lost), is identical with Richardson's species, and 

 that the differences noted between the two are nearly all due 

 to the one having a more perfect and therefore longer tail 

 than the other. The only character that cannot be so 

 explained lies in the armature of the scales, Ogilby counting 

 1 8 to 23 ridges in C. mortoni, while C. austraJis is said to have 

 12 to 18 only. I find that the number varies according to the 

 size of the specimens, my smallest having only six ridges, 

 whereas a large scale in a big example has twenty-two. 



When fresh, the specimens were greyish with darker bands 

 extending along the body and occupying the overlapping por- 

 tions of each row of scales. There is a more or less distinct 

 dark band between the eyes, and the operculum is blackish. 

 Upper half of the first dorsal black with a lighter margin. 

 Anal dark with a white border. Pectorals and ventrals dusky 

 with lighter edges. 



Specimens were preserved from off Storm Bay, Tasmania, 

 60 fathoms, and from Oyster Bay, Tasmania. 



Familv BERYCID/E. 

 Genus Austrobekyx, gen. nov. 

 Bodv rather deep, compressed, covered with moderately 

 large, ctenoid scales which are regularly arranged. Abdomen 

 trenchant, with a row of slightly enlarged, keeled scales. 

 Head large, with thin bones and high ridges which have deep 

 muciferous cavities between them ; the exposed bones rough 

 with raised striae. Snout short, mouth oblique, the chin 

 prominent. Eve large. Jaws, vomer and palatines with 

 villiform teeth. Opercles serrated ; operculm with two spines, 

 preoperculum with more or less strongly developed spines on 

 its inner border. Dorsal with six or seven spines which in- 

 crease regularly in height, and eleven to fourteen soft rays. 

 Anal with four spines and twelve to fourteen rays, its base 

 shorter than that of the dorsal. \'entrals with one spine and 

 seven ravs. 



