38- FISH AND FISH-LIKE ANIMALS OF X.S.W., 



LXXIII. Family Mugilidae. 



A. Xo teeth on the palate. Mugil (139). 



B. Eye with an adipose lid. Subg. Mugil. 

 BB. Eye without an adipose lid. , Subg. I.i:a. 



AA. Minute teeth present on vomer and palatines. 



C. Jaws with teeth. 



D. Teeth of upper jaw well developed, in a single row. Myxus (1401. 

 DD. Teeth of upper jaw minute, in a narrow band. Agonostomus (141). 



CC. Jaws toothless. Trachystoma (1421. 



139. Mugil Linn., Syst. Nat. 10th ed., 1758, p. 316 (cephalus) . 

 A. Eye partly covered by a transparent adipose lid. Subg. Mugil. 



B. 8 anal rays; about 40 scales in a longitudinal row. cephalus (139a>. 



BB. 9 anal rays; 30-32 scales in a longitudinal row. 



C. End of maxilla hidden by preorbital when mouth is closed; first dorsal 

 spine not reaching half its distance from base of last dorsal ray. 



georgii (139b) . 

 CC. End of maxilla exposed when mouth is closed; first dorsal spine 

 reaching more than half its distance from base of last dorsal ray. 



dussumierii ( 139c > . 

 AA. Eye naked, without a transparent adipose lid. Subg. Li:a, 



D. Less than 30 scales in a longitudinal row. 



E. 8 anal rays. waigieniis (139di. 

 EE. 9 ajial rays. compressus (139e) . 



DD. More than 30 scales in a longitudinal row; 10 anal rays. 



F. No enlarged axillary scale; 35-38 scales in a row. argenleus (139f). 

 FF. An enlarged axillary scale; 39-40 scales in a row. australis (139g). 



139a. M. cephalus. Ska Mullet. Id. Linn., Sy>t. Nat. 10th ed., 1758. p. 

 316. M. dubula Gthr., Brit. Mus. Cat. Fish, iii, 1861, p. 420, and 

 Fisch. Sudsee vi, 1877, p. 1214, pi. 120, a (PI. xiv). 

 Exceedingly abundant, and the commonest fish of the markets. Length, 30 

 inches. A comparison of local specimens with others from the Adriatic reveals 

 nothing to distinguish the Australian representatives of this widely distributed 

 species, which apparently ranges over all temperate and tropical seas. M. hypse- 

 losoma Ogilby, P.L.S.N.S.W. xxii. 1897, p. 74, is evidently based upon un- 

 usually deep examples of M. cephalus. 



139b. M. georgii. Silver Mullet. Id. Ogilby, P.L.S.N.S.W. xxn, 1897, 



p. 77. 

 A small species, plentiful in northern waters, and becoming rarer southwards. 

 Length 10 inches. 



139c. M. dussumierii. Green -backed Mullet. Id. Cuvier & Valenciennes, 

 Hist. Nat. Poiss. xi, 1836, p. 147; Id. Day, Fish. India, 1876, p. 352, 

 pi. 74, 4. 

 A tropical species, once recorded from the Clarence River estuary, but the 

 specific identity of the specimens was not satisfactorily determined. 



139d. M. waigiensis. Diamond-scaled Mullet. Id. (juoy & Gaimard, 

 Voy. Uranie, 1825, p. 337, pi. 59. 2; Id. Gthr., Fisch. Sudsee vi, 1877, 

 p. 216, pi. 121, b (PI. xiv). 



A tropical species, recorded from the Clarence River estuary. Length 12 

 inches. 



139e. M. compressus. Id. Gthr., Brit. Mus. Cat. Fish, iii , 1861, p. 451, 

 and Fisch. Sudsee vii, 1881, p. 217, pi. 123, a (PI. xiv). 



