158 ON FISHES NEW TO THE AUSTRALIAN FAUNA. [Mat. 19, 



Eye large, four thirteenths of the length of the head. 

 Maxilla reaches bevond the anterior margin of the orbit. 

 ^. PlatystethushuttomiK D. 13/36. A. 3/32. L. 1. 90. Eye 

 moderate, two ninths of the length of the head. Maxilla 

 not extending to the front margin of the orhit '. 



Chcerops ommopterus (Rich.). 



During the month of June 1888, I obtained in the Sydney 

 market three adult examples of a Chcerops which I believe to be 

 identical with Sir John Richardson's C. ommopterus ; but on account 

 of certain constant differences in the pattern of coloration, I append 

 a description of the life-colours, all three examples being exactly 

 similar in this respect. They were of large size, measuring respec- 

 tively nineteen, twenty, and twenty-four inches, and came from the 

 Clarence River, New South Wales, this being the first recorded 

 instance of the occurrence of the species within the colony, and 

 extending its range southward by many degrees. The only difference, 

 besides the coloration, betvveen Dr. Giinther's description and my 

 specimens is that in the latter there are in two but nine, and in the 

 third ten scales, in an oblique row beneath the lateral line. The 

 colours of the fresh fish are as follows : — upper part of head green, 

 becoming gradually more tinged with blue towards the snout; 

 cheeks and opercles olive ; mandibular region pale violet ; chin sky- 

 blue ; edge of the maxillary lip with a narrow outer golden and inner 

 blue stripe ; anterior margin of the preorbital very narrowly edged with 

 blue ; an oval sky-blue spot in front of the orbit, and extending to 

 about one third of its diameter. Body olive-brown above the lateral 

 line, rose-coloured below, most of the scales on the back and caudal 

 peduncle with a medium-sized, round, blue spot ; a broad dark band 

 runs from the fifth scale of the lateral line forwards and downwards 

 in an arcuate shape to the inferior margin of the opercle. Dorsal 

 fin golden, the spinous portion with a basal, median, and marginal 

 band of blue, the two outer of which are exchanged on the rays for 

 wavy, anastomosing lines of the same shade ; anal fin grey, with a 

 broad basal and marginal blue baud, bordered on the inner edge by 

 a narrower golden stripe ; ventrals bluish, the membrane between 

 the first and second rays golden ; pectorals grey, with two transverse 

 golden bands in front of the base, and the two outer rays and basal 

 third of the others blue ; caudal brownish, with the outer rays blue, 

 and the bases of the remainder green. Irides golden and crimson, 

 with sky-blue marginal spots. 



Count Castlenau's Torresia australis, of which the type is unfor- 

 tunately missing, is probably the young of Chcerops ommopterus. 



P.S. (Dec. 22, 1888). — Since "writing the above I have received 

 another large specimen from the same locality, which agrees exactly 

 in coloration with those here described. 



^ From Dr. Giinther's description (Ann. Nat. Hist. [4] xvii. 1876, p. 395) it 

 appears to me that this fish has quite as good a claim to separate generic rank 

 as many other Carangoids the right of which has never been questioned. 



- Plati/sfelhm abbreviafus, Hector (Trans. >'. Zealand Inst. vii. 1875, p. 247, 

 pL xi. f. 31 C), is a Ci/Uiis. 



