28 



roslro meJiocri ; dentibus Intis in scrie cliiplici disposiiis, decent 

 superioribus sex iiiferioribus ; aculeo dorsaii subulato, sphiifero; 

 pinna caudcc rotundatd. 

 Radii:—?. 14. D. 2 | 35 ; A. 34; C. 12. 



This Monacanthus known at Port Arthur (as well as the Aleuteres 

 described below,) by the name of " Leather Jacket," attains the 

 length of a foot or more, and is considered to be a good fish for the 

 table, the skin being removed before it is cooked. After long ma- 

 ceration in spirits it has a dull greyish-brown hue, without any 

 traces of spots or other configurations of colour, and the species also 

 wants the extensible dewlap, the bristly tail, pedunculated warts or 

 branching cirri, which characterize other groups of Monucanthi. 



Aleuteres MA cuLOsus (Nob.). Speckled Leather Jacket . Al. re- 

 tro-scaber, sub-ovalis, ventre jiromimdo ; anguKs quatuor act/lei 

 dorsalis spiniferis ; pinna cauda rotundatd, sub finem nigra fusci- 

 atd ; corpore colore murine ? nebuloso-guttato. 



Radii.— P. 11, aut 12; D. 2-34; A. 32; C. 12. 



This is a small Aleuteres, seldom exceeding five inches in length, 

 and having a sub-oval form, the :back being less arched than the 

 belly. The dorsal and anal fins are arched, the curvature being 

 more abrupt anteriorly. The dorsal spine is four-sided, with rows 

 of prickles pointing downwards on each of the angles. The minute 

 second spine is very slender. As has been remarked by Salvian, this 

 small spine aids lil^ce a trigger in fixing the large one in any required 

 position. The colour of the fish after being kept in spirits is dull 

 olive-brov.n or mouse-colour, with scattered clusters of small dark 

 spots. The subterminal black baud on the caudal fin is very faint. 



Aleuteres paragaudatus (Nob.). Trim Leather Jacket. AL, 

 retro-scaber ; dorso depresso ex ore usque ad pinnam secundam 

 fer^ recto ; ventre regularifer arcuato ; pinna catidee rotundatd, 

 sub finem nigro-fasciaid ; colore corporis murino ; fascid pallidd 

 (ffavd) e mento per pinnam pecloralem medio in latere tractd, sub 

 qud titled ca ruled ^ lined allerd cwrtiled i mento per oculum et ul- 

 tra extensd ; corpore subtiis et post ice caruleis guttis pulchri in- 

 terstincto. 



Radii .—P. 12 ; D. 2-34 ; A. 32 ; C. 12. 



This handsome Aleuteres is named in allusion to the striped upper 

 vestments of the Roman ladies. Like the preceding, it is a small- 

 sized fish. One of our specimens had the gut and the whole abdo- 

 men distended by a large Idotea, full of roe, not at all crushed, and 

 apparently little digested : a portion of its tail fin protruded at the 

 anus of the Aleuteres. 



The Aleuteres Ayraud of Shark Bay (Quo)"^ et Gaimard) differs 

 from this and the preceding species in the dorsal spine having only 

 two rows of prickles, and in the dorsal fin having a concave outline, 

 and reaching to the caudal fin. It is also differently striped, and no 

 spots are mentioned. The Aleuteres spilomelanurus taken by the 



