Holt and Calderwood — Report on the Rarer Fishes. 



485 



Scales of moderate size, regularly arranged and ciliate on both sides of the 

 body. On the ocular side they cover nearly the whole of the head, leaving only 

 the lips, the extremity of the snout, and the eyes uncovered. Each fin-ray is 

 accompanied by minute rough scales. On the blind side scales are absent from 

 the jaws, the prominent parts of the pre-operculum, the outline of the gill cover, 

 and from the fins. The greater number of the scales of the ocular side, with a 

 somewhat angular margin, finely ciliate. 



Scales may be present, however, which, when viewed microscopicall}^, show the 

 angle and small projections in the form of short, backwardly-dii-ected, cone-Hke 

 spines. Such scales may be most frequently found on the head, and more 

 especially behind the eyes. 



The ground-colour is a reddish chocolate, marbled with dark or black blotches. 

 The most conspicuous blotches occm- in series in the interspinous regions and along 

 the course of the lateral line. In the latter situation there is a most conspicuous 

 patch behind the curved part, and another a short distance in front of the caudal 

 peduncle. Across the iieduucle itself, near its origin, is a dark transverse band. 

 The fin-rays are speckled and streaked with black. This is so more especially in 

 the case of the dorsal and anal fins, the markings corresponding with those of the 

 interspinous regions. Blind side unpiginented. 



Description of Specimens. — The only example, taken during the Survey, was 

 a male, exhibiting the following measurements : — 



In this specimen the fin-ray formula is D 83, A 67. The last three rays of 

 dorsal and ventral form the posteiior fan-like appendages on the blind side of the 

 caudal peduncle. 



The peculiar elongate scales, mentioned in the specific diagnosis, are present 

 on the head. A few also occur on the body. These scales are shown in Van 

 Wright's beautiful figure, in the original edition of Fries and Ekstrom's work. 

 They are also visible in the inferior reproduction of the drawing in Smitt's 

 edition. Giinther's figure (" Proc. Roy. Soc, Edin.," loc. cit.) does not show 

 them, nor are they mentioned in the text. This figure, however, corresponds so 



