EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 135 



snout and the anterior margin of the eye, or 2'20 in the length of the head ; 

 its spine broad and strongly compressed, acute anteriorly, equal in length to 

 the third anal spine : pectoral rather large, rounded posteriorly. 1'40 in 

 the length of the head : caudal truncate, the pedicle strong and but little 

 compressed, its least height two fifths of the height of the body. ISnout, 

 preorbital, iaterorbital space, and preopercle scaleless ; anterior rays of the 

 vertical fins enclosed in a basal scaly sheath, which is more developed in the 

 anal than in the dorsal, and almost disappears on the posterior half of the 

 rayed dorsal and the last three rays of the anal. Lateral line gently curved 

 up to the caudal pedicle, ou which it is straight ; the tubes branched. 



Colors. — Uniform dull brick red, a little lighter on the abdomen ; cheeks, 

 opercles, and lower surface of the head washed with gold : the spinous 

 dorsal and the anal with a basal white band sparsely blotched with orange ; 

 remainder of the web hyaline ; spines and other fins dusky ; the ventral 

 pale red basally. 



Though this fish is but rarely brought to the market, it is so well known 

 to the professional fishermen under the vernacular name given above, and 

 cannot, therefore, be considered rare, that we have decided to give it a place 

 in the present limited w^ork, the more so that it is a large and handsome 

 species, and excellent for the table. The single specimen examined was 

 caught by hook and line off Port Jackson, and measured twenty three 

 inches ; its stomacli contained the triturated remains of crustaceans and 

 molluscs. 



It is hoped that this short notice will be the means of drawing attention 

 to this fine species, and by inciting captors to forward examples to the Aus- 

 tralian Museum, enable us ultimately to learn more concerning its habits 

 and distribution. 



As it does not appear to have been previously descrilDed, we are compelled 

 to give it a specific name. 



Genus III.— COSSYPHUS. 



Cossyplms, Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. xiii. p. 102, 1839. 



Branchiostegals six : pseudobranchiae present. Body oblong and com- 

 pressed, Snout more or less pointed. Preopercle serrated or entire. The 

 four anterior teeth in each jaw conical and free : lateral teeth free, in a 

 single series : a posterior canine : hypopharyngeal teeth not confluent or 

 pavement-like. One dorsal fin with twelve or thirteen spines and nine to 

 eleven rays : the anal with three spines, and from ten to fourteen rays. 

 Scales of moderate size, imbricate on the cheeks and opercles : bases of the 

 vertical fins scaly. No enlarged row of scales at the base of the caudal fin. 

 Lateral line continuous. 



Geographical distrihulion — Nearly all tropical and subtropical seas. 



COSSYPHUS UNIMACULATUS. 



Gossyplius unimacidaius, Gruth. Catal. Pish. iv. p. 109, 1862 ; Casteln. Proc. 

 Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, iii. p. 389 ; Macleay, Catal. Austr. Pish. ii. 

 p. 77 ; Woods, Fisher. N.S. Wales, p. 75, pi. xxxii. 



Gossyphus oxyceplialus, Bleek. Notices Ichthyol. Yersl. en Mededeel. Ak. 

 Wet. Amsterd. xiv. 1862. 



