40 " THETIS " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



Family EAJID^. 



RAJA (^Artedi), Linnceus, 



RAJA AUSTRALIS, Madeay. 



Skate. 



(Plate iv.) 



Haja aust7'alis, MacL, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., viii., 1884, p. 461. 



Stations 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 

 31, 32, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 42, 43, 46, 48, 49, 53, 56, 57, 58. 



Pirst recorded from examples taken off Botany Bay in 40-55 

 fathoms, the known distribution of the species does not seem 

 to have been since extended. It was freely obtained by the 

 "Thetis" along the whole of the coast line traversed, and it 

 doubtless occurs to the limits of the colony, and beyond, more 

 especially as it proves to inhabit deep water. It has a consider- 

 able vertical range, having been secured at all depths between 10 

 and 84 fathoms. The largest example previously recorded 

 measured 15 inches in length; some of ours attain to 19 inches 

 (485 mm.). 



The following notes are in elaboration of Macleay's description : 

 Disc broader than long ; the setous spines above the snout are 

 ■directed forward, those below backward. The mouth is described 

 as being straight ; this is not correct, it being of the usual bow- 

 shape. In the male the median teeth of both jaws are acutely 

 spinous, the lateral ones acute only. In the female the teeth are 

 nowhere spiny. The disc of the male is much more spiny than in 

 the female ; its anterior margin has a series of fine spines which 

 extend neither to the snout nor the angle ; between this series 

 and the eye is a patch of twelve strong recurved spines, and further 

 back and nearer to the margin is another similar patch. At the 

 angle, but some distance from its margin, are twenty-four slender 

 spines arranged anteriorly in two rows directed obliquely inwards 

 and backwards. The tail is armed with a median row of strong 

 spines, the alternate ones towards the hinder portion becoming 

 almost obsolete ; a single spine is placed between the tins. Six 

 similar spines are placed on each side of this series, the first pair 

 being situated behind the third spine and the last an equal dis- 

 tance in advance of the terminal one. Posteriorly the sides of 

 the tail are covex'ed with minute spines ; a few occur also on the 

 fins. The spines around tiie eye form a semicircular series 

 embracing the anterior and inner border, the central spine being 

 minute. A short spine occupies a median position between the 



