66 



than broad, nearly hexagonal. Tail prehensile, equal to or much 

 shorter than trunk. Head in continuation of the longitudinal 

 axis of the body or forming with it an obtuse angle only. 

 Shields hard, radially rugose or with radiating lines of well- 

 developed spines and with a stronger one in the centre. The 

 tail-rings with or without cutaneous excrescences on their 

 inferior surface. The edges of the rings rough or spiny. Inter- 

 medial shields (scutella) present as also two nuchal shields, 

 praenuchal shield present or absent. Superior cristae of trunk 

 and tail discontinuous. Inferior cristae of trunk and tail conti- 

 nuous. Median cristae of trunk and superior cristae of tail con- 

 tinuous, by exception not so. Operculum with radiating lines 

 or edges which are smooth, granulated or rough. Dorsal situated 

 on the anterior 10 12 caudal rings, its base not elevated. 

 Anal and pectorals present. Caudal wanting. Eggs large, isolated 

 in open cells belonging to the ventral surface of the anterior 

 part of the tail. 



Distribution: Marine fishes living in the indo-australian 

 Archipelago, Australia, New Zealand and China; probably in 

 deeper water. 



Key to the indo-australian species of 

 Solegnathus. 



1. Snout about twice longer than postorbital part of head. 

 Tail and trunk of equal length. Doral fin with 35 36 rays. 



Subdorsal rings o -f- Io ................ . . . . S. lettiensis p. 66. 



2. Snout about thrice longer than postorbital part of head. 

 Tail longer than trunk. Dorsal fin with about 46 rays. Sub- 



dorsal rings o -}- 12 ...................... S. guntheri p. 67. 



i. Solegnathus lettiensis Blkr. [Fig. 28, p. 65]. 



Solenognathus lettiensis Bleeker, Act. Soc. Sc. Indo-Neerl. VIII. 1860, I2de Bijdr. 



vischfauna Amboina, p. 3. 



Solenognathus lettiensis Dumeril, Hist. nat. Poissons II. 1870, p. 530. 

 Solenostomus ! ) lettiensis Gunther, Cat. Brit. Mus. VIII. 1870, p. 516. 

 Solenognathus lettiensis Duncker, Mitt. a. d. naturh. Mus. Hamburg XXXII. 

 , P. 66. 



D. 35 36; A. 4; P. 26 27; Rings 22 23 + 50 51; sub- 

 dorsal rings o-f 10. 



Much elongate, anteriorly pentagonal or hexagonal, poste- 



l) This is certainly a misprint for Solenognathus. 



