402 Dr. A. Giinther on neio Species of Fishes. 



Syngnathus BlainvilUanus (Eyd. & S.). 

 Of this fish, which hitherto has been found on the west 

 coast of South America only, we have received an example 

 from Cook's Strait, New Zealand, through Dr. Hector. 



Monacanthus melas. 

 D. 34. A. 34. 



Skin velvety, without distinct scales. Shape oblong, the 

 height of the body being a little less than one third of its 

 length (without caudal), or two sevenths of the total length. 

 Snout long, the distance of the eye from its end being con- 

 tained thrice and four fifths in the length of the body ; upper 

 profile very convex. Gill-opening below, and partly in ad- 

 vance of, the eye. Root of the pectoral beneath the hinder 

 part of the orbit. Dorsal spine long and slender, situated 

 above the hinder part of the eye, its length being contained 

 once and a half in the depth of the body and in the length of 

 the head ; four rows of very small barbs, the two anterior close 

 together, all being rather indistinct. Caudal with the margin 

 rounded. Dorsal and anal fins higher anteriorly than poste- 

 riorly. Ventral spine small, fixed. Colour brownish black, 

 with two whitish bands across the chin. Dorsal spine and caudal 

 black ; the other fins light-coloured. 



One specimen, 14 inches long, from Tasmania ; presented by 

 Morton Allport, Esq. 



Monacanthus DamelU. 

 D. 30. A. 28. 



The entire head and body coarsely granular, each granule 

 terminating in a spine. Tail not armed. • The depth of the 

 body is more than half the total length (without caudal). 

 Snout rather produced, with the upper profile slightly 

 concave. Gill-opening below the middle, root of the pectoral 

 below the posterior, half of the eye. Dorsal spine above 

 the middle of the eye, long, as long as the distance from the 

 gill-opening to the snout, armed with four rows of barbs, 

 of which the anterior are much smaller than the posterior, 

 the anterior rows being closer together than the posterior. 

 Caudal fin rounded. Dorsal and anal low. Ventral spine short, 

 fixed, with very short spikes. Colour uniform blackish grey. 



One specimen, 6 inches long, sent from Sydney by Hr. 

 Darnel to the Godeftroy Museum. 



This fish appears to be the same as one described by 

 Castelnau under the name of M. hrunneus^ in Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 Victor. 1873, p. 145 ; but as this author has employed the 

 same name in the same volume (p. 108) for another species, a 

 change is necessary for the present species. 



