255 



The second dorsal spine is very strong, and serrated 'pos- 

 teriorly, its length being contained once and two-thirds to 

 twice and two-thirds in the distance of the opercle from the 

 caudal. 



Atlantic, South Coast of England, Mediterranean, Tas- 

 mania. 



I was fortunate in obtaining a fine specimen of this fish 

 from Miss Lodder, who informs me that she has captured 

 two or three specimens near the Leven. The specimen sent 

 to me was captured at Port Sorell. It corresponds in every 

 particular with G-unther's description. All my doubts about 

 its existence in Tasmania are now set at rest. It is very 

 probable, however, that the two closely allied species C. 

 gracilis and C. liumerosus also exist in Tasmanian waters. 



The following are the dimensions of the specimen sent by 

 Miss Lodder : — 



Family Labrid.?:. 

 Cossyijlius unimaculatus. Gunth. 



" Pig Fish" of Sydney Fishermen (Macleay). 



Gunth. Cat. lY., p. 109 ; Macleay's Cat., p. No. 692. 

 D. It ; A. f^ ; L. lat. 36 ; L. tran. x%. 



Snout pointed, its length being more than one-third of the 

 head ; head longer than high ; prseoperculum minutely ser- 

 rated ; pectoral fin obliquely rounded, more than half the 

 length of the head ; the ventral longer, the first ray produced. 

 The dorsal fin increases gradually in height from the first 

 spine to the seventh soft ray ; the last spine is twice as long 

 as the first and equal to the ventral spine. The anal spines 

 are exceedingly strong, the third longest, nearly as long as 

 the twelfth dorsal spine ; the longest ray is shorter than the 

 base of the fin. Caudal fin emarginate with the lobes j^ro- 

 duced. Color uniformly bright vermilion ; extremities of 

 fins with an orange tinge. There are no black spots at the 

 base of the sixth and eighth dorsal spines, nor a small black 

 speck on the fifth and ninth, as in the original description of 

 the species ; but Mr. Morton informs me that these features 

 are frequently absent in the Port Jackson sj^ecimens, and are 

 therefore not reliable characteristics. 



