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Australasia. One genus—Hemirhampus—containing several 
species, all known as “Gar Fish,” is highly valued as an 
edible fish. The large families of Cyprinrpm and Cyprino- 
DONTID# are unrepresented in Australia. One species of the 
GONORHYNCHID# 1s found on the Sonth Coast. In the northern 
rivers of Queensland a large fish of a semi-Ganoid character is 
found; it is the Burramundi of the Aborigines, and is of the 
genus Osteoglossum, a genus known to exist also in rivers of 
tropical America and the Hast Indies. It is one of the most 
remarkable of Australian fishes. 
The CLupErp® are rather numerous; about 25 species are 
recorded in Macleay’s catalogue. They are chiefly of the 
genera Hnagraulis and Clupea, and several of them frequent 
fresh water. One species —Clupea sagax—almost identical 
with the Enelish Pilchard, visits the coasts of Victoria and 
New South Wales at certain seasons in vast shoals, but no 
attempt has ever been made to catch and utilise them, A 
species of the ALEPOCEPHALID@ was dredged by the “Chal- 
lenger” naturalists from a depth of 1490 fathoms in North 
Australian waters. The Symprancurp= of Australia consists 
of one species of Symbranchus and two of Chilobranchus, a 
genus peculiar to Australia. The Muranipm are abundant 
in the seas and many of the rivers of the country. The genus 
Murena is most numerous about the coral seas of the north. 
“The two very remarkable, though very distinct forms, Lepto- 
cephalus and Pegasus, generally ranked with the “TELEOsTET,” 
are found in Australia. 
The Order LOPHOBRANCHIT is nearly Australian ; that 
is, out of a total for the world of about 100 species ‘there 
are nearly 50 Australian. Most of the genera known in other 
parts are represented, while there are several genera known 
only from Australia. 
The Order PLECTOGNATHLI is also of a decidedly 
Australian character. The Bor eR ODERM1, out ofa total of about 
100 species, number over 50 Australian, chiefly of the genus 
Monacanthus and Ostracion; while the GyMNCDONTES, out 
of a total of 80 species, number quite 30, and several of the 
genera are solely Australian. 
A species of Orthogariscus seems to attain an enormous size 
in the Australian Ocean. , 
The Ganorpia, if represented at all, are represented by a 
very anomalous fish, peculiar to the Burnett and Dawson 
Rivers of Queensland. It is of the family Sirenoides, and is 
the analogue of the Protopterus of the rivers of tropical Africa, 
and of the Lepidosinen of the River Amazon of South America. 
Mr. Krefft first discovered its affinity to the fossil genus 
Ceratodus, of Agassiz, and named the genus Ceratodus Forsteri. 
The Embryology and mode of reproduction of this curious fish 
