JlElfSION OF AUSTRALIAN TUEllAPONS.—OGILBY AND McCULLOCH. 115 



Depth 2-8-3 in the length to the hypural joint ; head 2-8-2-9 in the same. 

 Eye a little larger than the interorbital width, 3-9-4-1 in the head and 1-4-1 -5 in the 

 snout ; snout 2-7 in the head. Fifth dorsal spine 1-6-1-8, anterior dorsal ray 1-8-2, 

 second anal spine 1-7, and anterior anal ray 1-4-1-5 in the head. 



Body compressed. Snout acute, the upper lip produced into a fleshy point ; 

 upper jaw overhanging the lower, which closes behind the premaxillaries. Maxillary 

 extending backward to below the end of the first third or fourth of the eye ; it is 

 entirely covered by the posterior lobe of the upper lip. Eyes large. Nostrils close 

 together, the anterior Avith a skinny lobe. Preorbital with a few smaD teeth posteriorly. 

 Hinder margin of the preoperculum with moderately strong teeth which are largest 

 above the rounded angle ; lower margin entire. Operculum with two spines, the 

 lower strong but not overlapping the opercular lobe. Teeth in a band in each jaw, 

 the outer ones enlarged, cylindrical, and movable. Vomer either toothless or w'ith 

 about three median teeth ; palatines toothless. Gill-rakers of the first gill-arch rather 

 long and slender posteriorly, about sixteen on the lower limb. 



Scales arranged as usual in the genus. They are larger on the anterior portion 

 of the side, becoming smaPer on the back, belly, and tad, and minute before the 

 ventrals. There are about thirteen series on the cheeks, the lower ones being very 

 small. 



Dorsal spines strong, the fifth longest, and longer than the Ta,ys ; the last is 

 shorter than the penultimate one : soft dorsal a httle emarginate. Anal fin origin- 

 atmg behind the vertical of the last dorsal spine, and terminating in advance of the 

 soft dorsal : the second spine is very long and strong, a little shorter than the anterior 

 rays, and much longer than the tliird spine ; soft anal pointed anteriorly. Pectoral 

 pointed, the second upper ray longest. Ventral inserted below the fourth dorsal 

 spine, the anterior ray with a short filament, reaching beyond the vent. 



Silvery, \vith three longitudinal dark bands on each side below the lateral 

 line which are more or less broken up into elongate blotches. Back with five broad 

 dark cross-bands which nin obUquely downward and backward. Fins without 

 markings. 



Described from two of Macleay's typical specimens, 171-182 mm. long. They 

 differ from his description in several details, particularly in the proportions of the eyes, 

 interorbital space, anl snout, while the dorsal markings are obhque instead of vertical. 

 They are allied to Datnia argentea Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



Loc. : — Normanby Island, D'Entrecasteaux Group ; fresh water. 



THERAPON (DATNIA) ARGENTEUS Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



Datnia argentea Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iii, 1829, p. 139, pi. liv ; Day, Fish. India, 



1875, p. 7 I , pi. xviii, tig. 7. 

 Mesopnstes macracanthus Bleektr, Nat. Gen. Arch. Ned. Ind., i, 1844, p. 523. 

 Datnia cancellatoidcs Bleeker, Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Ind., iv, 1853, p. 247. 

 Thempon argenteus Giinther, Brit. Miis. Cat. Fish., i, 1859, p. 283. 

 Therapon ( Datnia) argenteusBleek.er, Atlas Ichth.,vii, 1876, p. 114. pis. cccxxvi, fig. l,and ccexxxis, 



tig. 4. 

 Therapon nasutus Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, vii, 1882, p. 258. 

 Therapon chalybeus Macleay, ibid., p. 259. 

 Therapon acutirostris de Vis, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, ix, 1884, p. 398. 



D. xii 10 ; A. iii 8-9 ; P. 13-14 ; V. i 5 ; C. 17. 52-55 series of scales below 

 the lateral line between its origin and the hypural joint, and 55-58 above it ; 6i--8 

 scales between the lateral line and the middle of the spinous dorsal fin. Cheek-scales, 

 in 8-9 rows. 



