EDIBLE EISRES OF QUEENSLAND.— OGILBY. 175 



Suout produced and pointed, its length 1-4 to 1-5 in that of the head; preocnlar 

 groove distinct, hastate. Eye small and high-placed, its diameter 2-85 to 3 in 

 the length of the snout and 4-3 in that of the head ; interorhital region as high 

 as Avide, elevated in a bony ridge, its width one third more than the eye-diameter 

 and 3-15 to 3-33 in the length of the head. Mouth very small, the space between 

 its angle and the eye 1-8 to 1-95, the depth of the cheek 2-2 to 2-33 in the length 

 of the head. Preopercle with broadly rounded angle, the limbs widely divergent. 



Teeth in the j^ws with a variable number of blunt cusps, the middle 

 one longer and stronger than the others. 



Scales minute, strongly ctenoid, and carinated ; caudal spine a little longer 

 than the eye, the scales in front of it not differentiated ; postclavicular and 

 supraclavicular bones rather coarsely striated. A series of elongate simple tubes 

 each terminating in a pore below the eye ; another series across the inner edge 

 of the operele ; two on the side of the nape, three on the parietal region, and two 

 above the origin of the lateral line, the latter branched. Lateral line rather 

 indistinct, near to and parallel with the dorsal profile, apparently forming a 

 loop above the caudal spine. 



Dorsal fin with iv 32 or 33 rays, originating above the hinder border of the 

 eye, its length 1-3 to 1-4 in that of the body; 1st spine very short, the others 

 rising rapidly to the last, which is 1-4 to 1-5 in the longest rays; soft dorsal 

 with rounded outline, the 7th ray longest, one eighth more than the body-depth 

 and 1-75 to 1-9 in the body-length. Caudal fin truncate, with obtusely pointed 

 angles, the middle rays 5-2 to 5-33 in the length of the body. Anal fin with 

 iii 26 rays, originating below the 7th dorsal ray, its length half of that of the 

 body, its outer border obtusely pointed, the 8tli to 10th rays the longest, 1-3 to 

 1-5 in its basal length, which equals the depth of the body. Pectoral fin obtusely 

 pointed, directly obliquely upwards, with 16 rays, the 4th the longest, 3-6 to 3-8 

 in the body-length. Ventral long and narrow, acutely pointed, inserted below 

 the inferior angle of the pectoral-base, the spine long, slender, and flexible, about 

 two thirds of the outer ray, which is 1-15 to 1-25 in the length of the pectoral, a 

 trifle less than that of the head, and extends to the base of the 4th anal ray ; 

 inner ray short, atttiched for about half its length by membrane to the wall of 

 the abdomen. 



Gill-rahers 2-|-6, very short and slender. 



Purplish brown, with six oblique fawn-colored cross-bands about half the 

 width of the interspaces ; the first from the nape to the suboperele, entering the 

 eye, and usually continued across the breast to the origin of the ventral; the 

 second from the posterior dorsal spines or anterior rays to the origin of the anal ; 

 the third, fourth, and fifth between the bases of the soft dorsal and anal fins; 

 and the sixth, which is much the least conspicuous, between the last rays of those 

 fins. Lower half of head and scapular region profusely spotted with yellow. All 

 the fins blackish, except the tips of the caudal lobes and the loM^er rays of the 

 pectoral, which shade into brown. {vij/7]X6^, high ; TrrepoV, fin,) 



Described from two fine specimens, measuring respectively 294 and 298 

 millim., captured at Raine Island, Barrier Reef, and presented to the Queensland 

 Museum by the Wanetta Pearling Co. 



Historical: — But little is known of this handsome fish, which was first 

 described by Bleeker from a single small example collected by Hellmuth at 

 Larantuka in the island of Flores. Gunther, some twenty years later, was able 



