Sir J. Richardson on Australian Fish. 275 



is densely covered with small scales. The lateral line is marked by 

 a series of small eminences and is straight. 



Judging from the numbers given in the ' Histoire des Poissons,' and 

 also from the examination of several species not described in that 

 work, the branchiostegous rays seem to vary in the Apistes from five 

 to seven. In the species now under consideration there are seven 

 rays, but the lowest one is very slender, and so closely applied to the 

 following one that it can be detected only by dissection. 



The dorsal commences between the second points of the supra- 

 scapular ridges and extends to near the caudal. Its spinous portion 

 is much arched ; the spines are strong and acute, and the seventh one 

 is the tallest, being equal to two-thirds of the greatest height of the 

 body ; the other spines are slightly graduated, but the foremost three 

 diminish more abruptly. The last spine is rather more than one-half 

 as long as the soft rays or than the tallest spine. The last soft ray is 

 bound at its base to the back by membrane, but this membrane does 

 not reach to the base of the caudal. The anal terminates rather further 

 from the latter fin, and has three strong spines, the second being the 

 stoutest and as long as the third one ; the soft rays surpass them by 

 about a fourth part. The pectorals are large and obliquely semi- 

 oval, the lower rays being the shortest. Their rays are forked, which 

 is a characteristic mark of the genus, and is not common in the Cot- 

 toid family. The ventrals are also rather large, exceeding the anal a 

 little in length and in spread. Their spine stands behind the pecto- 

 ral axil and under the fourth dorsal spine. 



The length of the head exceeds the height of the body, and is 

 contained thrice and one-half in the whole length of the fish, caudal 

 included. Length of specimen 5^ inches. 



Aploactis MiLESii, Richardsou. 



Radii.— Qr. 5 ; D. 14|14 ; A. 12 ; C. 13 ; P. 11 ; V. 1|2, spec. 



This fish has the fins of a Synanceia with the lateral eyes and 

 head of a Scorjjtena, but instead of the ridges of the cranium, face 

 and gill-covers ending in spinous points, they produce only obtuse 

 knobs. Its teeth in character and position resemble those of Pte- 

 rois, and its dermal spine-like scales are similar to those of Centri- 

 dermichthys (Zool. of Voy. of Sulphur, p. 73). I am not quite sure 

 that it corresponds in all its general characters with the Aploactis 

 aspera of the ' Fauna Japonica' (pi. 22), but it comes sufficiently 

 near to be included in the same generic group. 



The form of the fish is rather elongated, the height of the body, 

 which is a little less than the length of the head, being nearly one- 

 fourth of the total length of the fish, caudal included. The com- 

 pression of the head is moderate, its thickness being only one-third 

 less than its height, and equal to about half its length. The mouth 

 is terminal, cleft only a very short way backwards, but having a mo- 

 derately large gape. The intermaxillaries are slightly protractile, 

 and their edges and those of the mandible are covered with very 

 short and minute, densely crowded teeth. The chevron of the vomer 

 is similarly armed, but there are no teeth on the very narrow edo-es of 



18* 



