Fishes of the Familij Stvomateidas. 203 



of head. Caudal emarginate. Sc. 90-100 yj. Lateral line 

 with a long curve, becoming straight below the posterior 

 doisal rays. Greenish brown above and on sides, silvery 

 below ; two or three series of darker spots on soft dorsal. 



Total length 140 millini. 



Coasts of Australia ; Kermadcc Islands. 



Stromateus. 



Stromatevs, Artedi, Gen. p. 19 (1738) ; Ciiv. & Val. k. p. 372 (1833). 



Seserinus, Cuv. & Val. t. c. p. 410. 



Body ovate, compressed, covered with very small scales ; 

 mouth small ; premaxiilaries not protractile ; maxillary ex- 

 posed ; no teeth on the palate ; opercular bones entire or 

 minutely denticulated ; gill-membranes united, free from the 

 isthmus; gill-rakers of moderate length; pseudobranchia? 

 present ; six branchiostegals. A single dorsal fin, with 

 III-IX 40-48 rays, the spines feeble, graduating. Anal 

 long, with III 32-40 rays. Pectorals with 22 rays. Ven- 

 trals tlioracic, absent in the adult, the pelvis not projecting as 

 a spine. Caudal forked. 46 vertebrae. 



Synopsis of the Species. 

 A. Caudal lobes elongate, much longer than the head. 1. S.Jiatola. 

 J3. Caudal lobes about as long as the head. 



Depth of body about t-^-ice in total length 2. S. onicrochinis. 



Depth of body about 2^ times in total length .... 3. <S. mnculatus. 



Stromateus fiatola. 

 Stromateus fiatola, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 4-32 (1700). 

 Citnjsostromus fiatoloides, Lacep. iv. p. C97 (1802). 



Depth of body 2 to 2.V times in total length, length of li'ad 

 about 4 times. Snout longer than tke eye, the diameter of 

 which is 5 to 8 times in the length of head, interorbital width 

 about 2^ times. JMaxillary not extending to below the eye. 

 D. V-Vl 38-40, rays increasing in length to the twelfth, 

 which is about | the length of head, thence decreasing, the 

 last 10 to 15 rays subequal, ^ to i the length of head. 

 A. Ill 30-33. Pectorals nearly as long as the head. Caudal 

 deeply forked, the lobes 4 of the depth of body. Gill- rakers 

 about half as long as the eye- diameter, 10 to 12 on the lower 

 part of the anterior arch. Dark purple on back and sides, 

 silvery below ; two or three rows of rounded dark blue spots 

 above the lateral line and irregular longitudinal bands 

 below it ; inner surface of pectoral and tips of caudal lobes 

 black. 



Total length 340 millim. 



Mediterranean, S. Africa. 



