APPENDIX PISHES. 543 



head and extends to nearly beneath the posterior margin of the 

 orbit, in the diameter of which its distal extremity is contained 

 rather more than twice, and is rounded. Lower jaw the longer 

 and very powerful. The skin covering the bony arch of the gills 

 is studded with rough scales, and gill rakers are developed as 

 needle-like spines most pronounced on the lower part of the upper 

 and posterior part of the lower limb. The spines arise from a 

 broad flattened base embedded in the skin on the outer side of 

 the limb and moveable thereon, being attached each by a ligament. 

 These bases bear from one to three spines and are placed at some 

 distance apart, the scales between them are also minutely spiny. 

 In the angle of the first and second arch is a large and strong 

 obtuse process surmounted by two or more slender spines directed 

 inwards. 



The teeth are small, canine-like, set at some distant apart and' 

 curved inwards, red at the base ; in the jaws they are arranged in 

 a single row, those of the mandible being the larger. There are 

 four comparatively large teeth on the premaxillary and three on 

 the head of the vomer ; a single row of teeth on the palatines 

 similar to, but smaller than those of the jaws. The anterior pair 

 of mandibular teeth are set forward and are entirely in front of 

 the upper jaw. No teeth on the tongue. 



The longest spines of the dorsal fin are equal in length to the 

 diameter of the eye. The soft dorsal is similar to the anal, very 

 high anteriorly ; the rays one-third the length of the head. The 

 pectoral is contained 2-2 and the ventral 3 '4 times in the length 

 of the head. The upper caudal lobe is slightly longer than the 

 lower and is nine-elevenths the length of the head, the least 

 depth of the pedicel is 5 '9 in the same. 



Scales. The whole head (including the lips and maxilla) and 

 body are clothed with minute scales which average six or seven 

 between each bony tubercle ; these tubercles are rooted by long 

 irregular rays, two or three in number, and the portion projecting 

 from the skin is bi- or more usually trifurcate ; surrounding the 

 base of each tubercle is a number of pores, two being immedi- 

 ately in front. The lateral line is not very marked, but beneath 

 the skin it is more easily traced; along this line the bony 

 tubercles are much smaller, closer, and more deeply imbedded, 

 producing a rather naked appearance. There are ninety-four 

 plates along this line and fourteen and twenty -eight above and 

 below it respectively, counting the transverse series. 



Colours. Dark reddish-brown throughout, the bony scutes naked 

 and white. 



