Dr. A. Giinther on three new Trachinoid Fishes. 89 



There are two specimens in the British IMusenm : one is a 

 skin, from the old museum of the Zoological Society ; the other 

 is a stuffed specimen, 17^ inches long, from the same collection 

 from Port Famine which contained Chcenichthys esox. 



Of the genus Chmiichthys [Nototheniind) only one species was 

 known. We add a second : — 



Cheenichthys esox. 



B. 7. D. 10/33-34. A. 34. C. 30. P. 21. V. 1/5. 



Snout without a spine anteriorly. Lateral line smooth, without 

 granulated plates. 



Port Famine. 



This species is similar to Ch. rhinoceratus, Richards., from 

 which it may be readily distinguished by the characters men- 

 tioned. The general form of the head is the same as in the 

 other species, and its length is contained three times and a third 

 in the total length. The maxillary extends nearly to below the 

 middle of the eye; both the jaws are armed with cardiforni 

 teeth, the palate being entirely smooth. The bony strise of the 

 operculum are differently arranged from those in Ch. rhinoceratus, 

 and do not terminate in very prominent spines ; the centre from 

 which they radiate is near the upper anterior angle of the oper- 

 culum ; two run downwards towards the suboperculum, three 

 towards the extremity of the operculum (the upper one being 

 bifurcate), and the last ascends upwards towards the suprascapula. 

 The anterior dorsal fin commences at a small distance from the 

 occiput, and is longer than high, none of the flexible spines 

 being produced ; this, however, cannot constitute a specific dif- 

 ference from Ch. rhinoceratus, as long as we are ignorant whether 

 the sexes of the fishes of this genus show any external differences. 

 The soft dorsal commences immediately behind the spinous, is 

 about as high, and terminates at some distance from the caudal ; 

 the latter fin appears to be subtruncated. The anal commences 

 a little behind the soft dorsal, and terminates in the same verti- 

 cal. The pectoral is broad, extending to the vertical from the 

 third dorsal I'ay ; the upper portion of its posterior margin is 

 subtruncated, the lower rounded. The ventrals are jugular, and 

 rather longer than the pectoral. 



The skin is entirely smooth, the lateral line being formed by 

 small tubules, which, in dried specimens, are very distinct. It 

 ascends in a gentle curve towards the back, running close to the 

 base of the soft dorsal and terminating opposite to the extremity 

 of that fin. The second or lower portion of the lateral line 



Ann. &^ Mag. N. Hist. Scr. 3. Vol. vii. 7 



1 



