8^ "ENDEAVOUR" SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



the soft dorsal are the largest. Eight or nine are arranged 

 along the base of the anal. There are two or three median 

 plates and two to four pairs in front of the ventrals, while 

 between that fin and the anal there is one median and six to 

 eight of the paired series. Generally the bucklers of one side 

 do not correspond to those of the other but are more or less 

 alternate to one another. Lateral line strongly arched 

 anteriorly, straight posteriorly. 



Dorsal originating over the middle of the operculum. The 

 second spine is usually the longest, and is either almost 

 equal to the length of the head or somewhat shorter. The 

 membrane of the spines is produced beyond their tips, the 

 filament of the anterior ones being from one-fourth to one-half 

 as long as the spine. The rays are all simple, and increase 

 rapidly in length to about the fourteenth, which is more than 

 twice as long as the first ; behind this they are more uniform. 

 Anal spines decreasing in length backwards, the first equal 

 to about three-fourths the length of the eye ; the rays are 

 similar in form to those of the dorsal. Ventrals large, reach- 

 ing to the first anal spine in old specimens and to the first ray 

 in younger ones ; the first ray not closely adpressed to the 

 spine. Upper pectoral rays the longest, once and a half to 

 twice as long as the eye. Caudal truncate or slightly rounded 

 when expanded, its peduncle about two-thirds the diameter of 

 the eye. 



Colour.— Silvtry , the first dorsal, ventral and hinder portion 

 of the caudal blackish. A large dark spot on the middle of 

 the sides in fresh specimens, which disappears in preserved 

 examples. 



The above description is drawn up from thirteen specimens 

 230-360 mm. long. In large examples the profile from the 

 chin to the vent is evenly rounded, but in the smaller ones it 

 descends obliquely to the ventrals, where it forms a sharp 

 angle with the belly line. The latter is either straight or 

 convex. The specimen figured on plate xvi. is 242 mm. long, 

 and represents the angular stage, while the rather crude 

 figure in "Fauna Japonica" shows the rounded profile char- 

 acteristic of the larger fish. 



Relying on the descriptions and figure quoted above, and 

 with only the smaller specimens before me, I at first con- 

 sidered the Australian examples distinct from Z. nebulosiis, 

 as none showed the clouded body markings of Schlegel's 

 figure, nor has the angular form been described in the 

 Japanese works. Having since obtained a specimen from 

 Tokio Bay, however, and larger ones from the Victorian 

 coast, I find that they agree in everv detail. 



