BEVISION OF AUSTBALIAN TUEBAPONS.-OGILBY AND McCULLOCH. 123 



equal. Maxillary reaching to below the posterior nostril or the anterior margin of 

 the eye ; its hinder portion exposed. Eyes of moderate size, shorter than the snout ; 

 the interorbital width is equal to or a little greater than the length of the snout. 

 Nostrils about their own diameter apart, the anterior with a skirmy lobe. Preorbital 

 bone serrated in the young, almost entire in a larger specimen. Preoperculum evenly 

 denticulate posteriorly, the teeth being slightly enlarged on the rounded angle. Two 

 flat opercular spines, the lower the larger, but not produced beyond the opercular lobe. 

 Suprascapular exposed, and together \vith the coracoid, denticulate in the young, 

 almost entire in adults. 



Each jaw with a row of cardiform, somewhat flattened teeth which are partly 

 depressible ; they are followed by a broad band of \dlhform teeth. The vomer in a 

 large specimen appears to have borne teeth which have decayed away ; of three 

 smaller examples, one has a single median tooth on the vomer, while the others have 

 the palate quite smooth : a number of minute dermal papillae project from the skin 

 surrounding the vomer which resemble teeth, but they are quite soft and free from the 

 bone. Gill-rakers rather long and slender on the lower limb of the first arch. Scales 

 largest on the middle of the sides, smaller on the abdomen and breast. They form the 

 usual sheaths at the bases of the dorsal and anal spines, and extend up between the 

 bases of the dorsal, anal, caudal, and pectoral rays. 



Dorsal spines long and strong, the sixth the highest and longer than the rays ; 

 the last spine is not longer than the penultimate one : soft dorsal rounded posteriorly. 

 Second anal spine much longer than the third in young specimens and longer than the 

 rays ; it is shorter in adults : soft anal rounded in the young, the anterior portion 

 somewhat angular in larger specimens. Fifth upper jiectoral ray longest, the hinder 

 margin of the fin rounded. Ventrals inserted below the origin of the dorsal in the 

 young, and not nearly reaching the vent ; in the adult they are placed farther back 

 and extend almost to the anal fin. Caudal emarginate. 



Olive or grejdsh green on the back and sides, becoming lighter below ; 

 irregular blackish spots or blotches may be present on the body, which are not 

 bilaterally symmetrical. The membranesof all the fins except the jiectorals are 

 uniformly dusky. 



Described from four specimens, 138, 141, 232, and 272 mm. Jong. The text- 

 figure represents the largest example, while that of 141 mm. is figured on Plate XIII. 



This species varies considerably in form, some specimens being much deeper 

 than others : none of our examples are so slender as described by Castelnau, and it 

 seems probable that his statement that the height is contained three times in the 

 length loithotd the caudal should be substituted by loith the caudal. He has described 

 " a transverse line of teeth on the palate," but this character is not present in anj^ 

 of our specimens ; though a patch of vomerine teeth is present in some of the marine 

 species of Tkerapon, at least in their younger stages, the palate appears to be almost 

 or entirely smooth in all the Australian freshwater species. The proportions of the 

 anal spines are variable Mith age, they being relatively longer in the young than in 

 adults. 



Locs.: — Zamia Creek, Dawson River; Gyranda, Dawson River; Norman River. 



Remarks : — ^Dr. Bancroft writes that this fish is uneatable ; no matter how long 

 it may be boiled it retains the consistency of shoe-leather ; hence the local name of 

 " leather jacket " at Gyranda. 



