128 



Abundant in all our principal rivers. Affords the finest 

 sport of all our fishes to anglers. It is very much 

 esteemed as a delicious table fish. Unfortunately, the 

 introduction of the English Brown Trout {Salmo ;fario 

 var. Ausonii) into many of our rivers threatens the extinc- 

 tion of this most valuable native fish. Sometimes reaches 

 12 to 13 inches long. 



110. Haplochiton Sealii, nov. sp. The Derwent Smelt. 



B. 6. D. 8 - 9. A. 19 - 20. Y. 7. P. 9 - 12. Yert. 56-57. 



Body naked. Total length, 5-3 times length of head, and 

 nearly 10 times the height of the body. Head somewhat 

 broad, depressed ; interorbital space wide. Teeth in a 

 single series, small, hooked, on maxillary and mandible, — 

 minute on palate. Eye relatively large, diameter equal 

 to length of snout, which latter is contained in head 3*2 times. 

 Maxillary extending to a vertical line drawn through 

 centre of eye ; posterior end slighth^ enlarged, and curved 

 downwards. Lower jaw slightly longer. Dorsal situated 

 rather in advance of vent and behind ventral fin. Belly 

 rounded. Adipose fin, membranous, rudimentary, broadly 

 deltoid. Body ornamented with extremely minute dots ; 

 fi'om the ventrals forward these minute blackish dots 

 invariably form two f)arallel interrupted lines which 

 ultimately gradually aj)proach and unite at an acute angle 

 under the mandibles. Silvery band along sides. This 

 interesting species has the same migratory habit as JRetro- 

 pinna JRichardsoni^ Giinth. It appears in the upper waters 

 of the Derwent, near New Norfolk, in large shoals during 

 the months of October and November. The females are 

 then full of mature ova, which are comparatively large 

 when compared with the size of the fish. The introduced 

 English Salmonoids appear to j^rey upon these little fish 

 to a great extent. When chased, the little fish may be 

 seen leaping in scores from the surface of the water. 

 Average length, mature, 1^ to 2 inches. 



Fam. XXX. SCOPELID^. 



111. Alepidosaurus ferox, Lowe. 



B. 0-7. D. 41-44. A. 14-17. P. 14 - 15. Y. 9-10. 

 Giinth. Cat., V., p. 421. Allp. MS. Macl. Cat., 837. 

 Tasmania (Rich). 

 I have not seen any specimens. 



Fam. XXXI. SALMONID^. 



112. Retropinna Richardsoxi, Gill. (A.Z.) Whitebait or 



Smelt.'''' 

 B. 6. D. 11-12. A. 17-20. P. 11. Y. 6. L. lat. 61. 

 Giinth. Cat., YL, p. 171. Macl. Cat., 840. 

 Captured in great abundance in the River Taniar, in the 

 prawn nets, during the months of February and March, 

 together with a species of Atherina., and Galaxius 

 attenuatus.^ and are generally termed by fishermen, White- 

 bait. Dr. Giinther had formerly supposed that this species 



