306 



lips. Palate and tongue toothless. First dorsal consisting of 4 

 or 5 spines, the first of which is by far the stronger. Second 

 dorsal with a spine and 8 n rays. Anal with a weak spine 

 and 23 26 divided rays. Origin of anal well in advance of 

 that of first dorsal. Ventrals with a slender spine and 5 soft rays, 

 beginning somewhat behind origin of pectorals, which have 

 no spine. Caudal forked. Scales nearly smooth, 40 44 in a 

 row between head and caudal. Lateral line absent. Five (?) 

 branchiostegals. 



Distribution: Freshwater of Northern New Guinea. 



i. Centratherina crassispinosa (M. Web.) [Fig. 8r, p. 305]. 



Rhombatractus crassispinosus Max Weber, Nova Guinea IX. Livr. 4, 1913, p. 567. 

 Centratherina crassispinosa Tate Regan, Trans. Zool. Soc. London XX. prt. 6, 

 1914, p. 283. 



DMV V; D 2 .I. 8 12; A. I. 2 3 26; P. I. 13 1 4 ; V.I. 5; 

 L.I. 40 44; L.tr. i2 ! / 2 13. 



Height 3 3.2, 3.6 4.2 in length with caudal. Head 4 4.3, 

 4.8 5.2 in length with caudal. Eye 3.3 4, shorter than snout, 

 which is equal to interorbital space but shorter than postorbital 

 part of head. Mouthopening not reaching to frontborder of eye. 

 Three to four rows of scales on suborbital part of cheeks. 

 Scales on operculum large, excepting the superior ones, which 

 are small. Dorsal separated from occiput by 21 26 scales. 

 First spine of first dorsal stronger than the other ones, as long 

 as, somewhat shorter or longer than that of second dorsal, 

 which is curved and thicker than those of first dorsal and about 

 as long as head without snout or as postorbital part of head. 

 Anal spine much weaker, not much longer than eye. The 

 origin of the anal is 4 6 (in large specimens 2) scales in front 

 of that of dorsal. Pectorals somewhat falciform, as long as head 

 without snout. Scales nearly smooth. Caudal peduncle slender, 

 considerably longer than high. Colour of alcohol specimens 

 light brownish, yellowish below with a silvery hue. Traces of 

 a lateral dark band. Fins hyaline or dusky, upper and lower 

 border of caudal more or less blackish. Length 127 mm. 



Habitat: North New Guinea (river Tawarin!, river Ser- 

 mowai!, Kaiserin Augusta-river!). 



Fresh water. 



