the Kin<j River y Western Australia. 451 



Atherinidae. 



Atherina elongata, Kliiiiz. 1830. 



Nannatiieuina, gen. nov. 



Body moderately elongate, compressed. Scales rather 

 large, cycloid; no lateral line. Mouth wide, oblique, the 

 maxillary exposed distally and extending to below' the eye; 

 praiinaxillaries a little protractile; bands of small pointed 

 teeth in the jaws and on the vomer and palatines. Dorsal 

 fins connected at the base, with VIII-IX, I 8-9 rays, the 

 spines pungent; anal with III 8-9 rays, opposite the soft 

 dorsal ; caudal rounded or subtruncate. Pectorals sym- 

 metrical, rounded, placed rather low (as in normal Perciform 

 fishes rather than as in otiier Atherinids) ; ventrals with I 5 

 rays, inserted behind the base of the pectorals. Vertebrae 

 31 (U + 17). 



Hi annatherina Balstoul, sp. n. 



Depth of body equal to or a little less than the length of 

 head, which is 3 in the length of the fish. ISnout shorter 

 than eye, the diameter of which is 3 in the length of head ; 

 interorbital width 4 in the length of head. Upper surface of 

 head scaly, except the snout ; cheeks and oj)ercles scaly. 

 Jaws equal anteriorly ; maxillary extending to below middle 

 of eye. Gill-rakers represented by a series of very short 

 projections. 35 scales in a longitudinal series. Dorsal 

 Vlll-lX, I 8-9 ; origin above posterior part of pectoral ; 

 second or third spine longest, a little less than ^ the length 

 of head; soft tin higher, the rays nearly i the length of 

 head. Anal III 8-9, opposite and similar to the second 

 dorsal. Caudal rounded or subtruncate. Pectoral a little 

 more than ^ the length of head; insertion of ventrals below 

 the middle of pectoral. Brownish, with several dark vertical 

 bars and an indistinct broken lateral stripe or series of spots. 



Two specimens, 50 mm. in total length. 



The connected dorsal tins and the low position of the 

 pectorals suggested that this little lish might prove to be the 

 type ot a family distinct from the Atherinida3, but dissection 

 of one side of one of the specimens shows that the vertebral 

 column and pectoral arch are as in typical Atherinidge; the 

 pelvic bones are quite remote from the clavicles, to which 

 they are connected by a ligament. 



