MULLER'S TOPKNOT. ;377 



Description. — From a specimen eight inches in length ; breadth, 

 fins included, five inches. Head more than one-fourth of the whole 

 length. Colour of the upper surface of the body reddish-brown 

 mottled and spotted with very dark brown or black ; a broad black 

 band extending vertically across the head; commencing about the 

 base of the twentieth ray of the dorsal, passing down through both 

 eyes, and ending under the lower portion of the preoperculum ; un- 

 der surface white. Dorsal fin arising between the right eye and up- 

 per lip, and ending at the base of the caudal, but not connected to 

 it, a few of the rays passing underneath the tail ; the first ray short, 

 the succeeding sixt}' gradually increasing in height, the rest more 

 rapidly decreasing, the longest rayg equalling the base of the first 

 twelve rays of the same fin, all the rays branched except a few of the 

 first and last ; caudal fin small ; rounded at the end, the middle ray 

 about the length of the longest rays of the dorsal. Ventrals com- 

 mencing in a line under the left eye; appearing like a continuation 

 of the anal, to which it is slightly connected. Anal arising under 

 the preoperculum, answering to the dorsal and terminating in the 

 same manner under the base of the tail. Pectorals about half the 

 length of the head, all the rays branched except the first, the third 

 and fourth longest. Lateral line taking a strong curve over the pec- 

 torals, after which it passes straight to the middle caudal ray ; under 

 jaw longest ascending obliquely to meet the upper ; teeth small and 

 fine, placed in many rows in front, and a few on the vomer forming 

 a dense cluster ; gape rather wide, maxillary very oblique ; orbits 

 round, the lower one rather in advance of the upper ; basal and pos- 

 terior margins of the preoperculum meeting at a very obtuse angle ; 

 operculum terminating in a blunt point over the base of the pecto- 

 rals ; upper surface of the body very rough, presenting a velvet-like 

 appearance ; scales ciliated, small, adherent, with their free margins 

 directing outwards, extending along the rays of the fins, as well as 

 on the cheeks, eye-lids, and jaws. Number of fin rays — 



D. 93 ; P. 11 ; V. 6 ; A. 74 ; C. 14. 



This species has been for a long time confounded by natu- 

 ralists with the Rhombjis punctatus or Bloch's Topknot, which 

 it, at first sight, very much resembles ; but, when closely 

 compared, thereis found a wide difference between them. Mr 

 Yarrell was the first to point out the error in which ichthyo- 

 logists had previously laboured, and has given an excel- 

 lent figure of both species in the second volume of his Bri- 



