ICETHYOLOGICAL ITEMS.— McCULLOCH. 



63 



only. Mouth opening backward to below the anterior third of the eye ; lower lip with 

 a few tentacles, but not fringed. Gill-membranes dilated posteriorly, and united 

 with the pectorals. 



Dorsal fin commencing slightly before the anterior margin of the eye ; the 

 rays increase regularly backwards, and are bifurcate, with their tips free. Anal of 

 similar form to the dorsal. Caudal rounded. Ventrals opposite each other, and free 

 from the anal ; the right is nearly twice as long as the left. Pectorals subequal, or the 

 right slightly larger than the left ; the longest rays are half or less than half as long 

 as the eye. Lateral line straight from the back of the head to the median caudal 

 rays ; on the upper side it curves upward and forward to the front margin of the 

 head. 



Colour. — Light bro^^^l above, with twenty to twenty-four dark cross-bands, 

 which are about as wide as the interspaces, and have their margins defined by series 

 of blackish dots ; the interspaces also are crossed by narrow, indistinct bands. The 

 bands are continued onto the fins, and the dorsal and anal are also marked with a few 

 dark blotches near the margins. 



Described from two specimens 148-159 mm. long ; the smaller is selected as 

 the type, and is figured. 



The subequal pectoral fins readily distinguish this species from the closely 

 alUed S. zebra. 



Log. — Near Bowen, Queensland. 



SYNAPTURA BREVICEPS, Ogilby. 

 Brachirus breviceps, Ogilby, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qld., xxiii., 1910, p. 36. 



D. 73 ; A. 61 ; C. ? ; P. dex. 6 ?, sin. ? ; V. ?. L. lat. 77 ; L. tr. 25/31. 

 Greatest depth, measured on the lower surface, 3 in the length to the base of the 

 caudal|rays ; head 5-7 in the same. Eye 6-8 in the head, and equal to the interocular 



Text-fig. 1. 

 Synaptura breviceps Ogilby. Nat. Size. 



space. Longest ray of right pectoral fin shorter than the eye, 7-3 in the head, and 

 shorter than that of the left pectoral, which is 5-4 in the head. Caudal ray equal to 

 the length of the head. 



