5-1 EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH TTALES. 



in botli ja^YS, with or witliout canines : yomeriue and palatine teetli present 

 or absent. One dorsal fin composed of' a spinous and a rayed portion of 

 nearly equal extent : anal with three spines : ventrals thoracic, remote from 

 the insertion of the pectorals, A\dth one spine and five rays : lower pectoral 

 rays simple and generally thickened. Scales eyelid : lateral line continuous. 

 Airbladder absent or, when present, with many appendages. Pyloric appen- 

 dages few. 



Geograpliical (list rihut Ion. — Tropical and temperate regions of the Indian 

 and Pacific Oceans. 



Genus I.— CHIRONEMUS. 



Chironemus, Cuv. & Yal. Hist. Nat. Poiss. iii, p. 78, 1829. 



Branchiostegals six : pseudobranchia? present. Body oblong and slightly 

 compressed, Operele spinifcrous : preopercle entire. Small teeth in both 

 jaws : teeth on the vomer: palate edentulous. One dorsal fin with fourteen 

 or fifteen spines : the anal with three : the six or seven lower jjectoral rays 

 simple. Scales of moderate size, eyelid. Airbladder wanting. Pyloric 

 appendages in small numbers. 



Geographical distribution. — Coasts of Australia, Tasmania, and Xew 

 Zealand. 



CHIEONEMUS MAEMOEATUS. 



Chironemus marmoratus, Grnth. Catal. Pish. ii. p. 76 ; Macleay, Catal. Austr. 

 Pish. i. p. 121. 



Kelpfish. 



Plate XYII. 



B. vi. D. 15 IS. (U/19).A. 3/0. Y. 1/5. P. 15. C. 15. L. lat. 55—58. L. tr. 



11/20. Ccec. pyl. 2. 



Length of head 3-50— 375, of caudal fin 5-33— 5-66, height of body 

 3'90 — -I'lO in the total length. Eye large and prominent, its diameter 

 4"50 — 4'SO in the length of the head, 1'50 — 1"68 in that of the snout, 

 which is moderately jDointed, and from 0'90— 1*10 in the rather deeply 

 concave interorbital space. Nostrils equal and horizontally oral, the anterior 

 with a broad multiradiate flap both before and behind. Upper profile of 

 head rounded. Jaws equal. Cleft of mouth moderate and horizontal, the 

 maxilla reaching to the anterior margin of the orbit or not quite so far. 

 Supraorbital margin well developed, terminating in ablunt point: preopercular 

 margin evenly rounded : operele with two prominent spinous points. A 

 broad band of cardiform teeth in the javrs ; villiform teeth in a narrower 

 obtusely angular band on the vomer. The dorsal commences above the 

 opercular spines ; its spines are moderately strong, the sixth, rarely the 

 fifth, the longest, from 2"25 — 2"50 in the length of the head ; the height of 

 the first spine is two sevenths of the longest, and a little shorter than the 

 penultimate, which is five eighths of the last spine ; the outer margin of the 

 soft dorsal is obliquely truncated, the anterior rays being equal in height to 

 the highest spine ; the base of the soft dorsal is five sixths of that of the 

 spinous : the anal commences beneath the fifth, and ends beneath the eleventh 

 dorsal ray ; the second spine is equal in length to, but stronger than, the 

 third, which is from 2'75 — 300 in the length of the head, and 1 75 in the two 

 anterior rays, which far exceed those of the dorsal in height ; the outer 

 margin of the fin is sinuous : the ventral commences beneath the eighth 



