PISHES- WAITIC. 66 



PARATRACHICHTHYS TRAILLI, HiUton. 



Trachichthys trailli, Huiloii, Tiuiis. N.Z. Iii.si., viii., 1887, p. 212. 



Gunthor, Chall. Report, Zuol., xxii., p. 23, pi. Iv., i\^. a. 

 Trachichthys macleayi, Joliuston, Proc. Roy. 8oc. Tas., 1880, p. 56. 



Station 25. 



The single specimen obtaincnl dilfers only fVom the descriptions 

 of this species by having thirteen in place of eleven abdominal 

 scutes. If this could be regarded as of specific value the name 

 would be T. tnacleayi as above. It may be noted that the first 

 scute is provided with two spines, which lie one on each side of 

 the first median series, a chai-acter not shown in the figure quoted, 

 nor mentioned in Johnston's description. With regard to the 

 discrepancy in the number of scales along the lateral line, it may 

 be mentioned that they are by no means easy to count. Our fish 

 exhibits fifty-five pierced scales ; Hutton counted ninety-five in the 

 type, and Johnston "about fifty" in 2\ tnacleayi. The total number 

 of scales along the line is one hundred and eighteen, exactly 

 Hutton's rendering. None of these are larger than those on the 

 rest of the body as described by Johnston. 



Regarding the position of the vent, which is placed between 

 the ventral fins, in fi-ont of the series of abdominal scutes, 

 Giinther considered it as probably abnormal. Such an opinion 

 can no longer be held, as the condition is maintained by our 

 specimen. I therefore propose generic recognition in the name 

 Paratrachichthys. 



If we accept Johnston's fish as referable to P. trailli, five 

 examples are now known, the distribution of the species being 

 ascertainable as follows : — 



The type was obtained near Stewart Island, New Zealand ; 

 other two, also from New Zealand, were described and figured by 

 Arthur* from specimens taken in Otago Harbour ; the type of M 

 Tnacleayi was described from a Tasmanian example taken in tut. 

 estuary of the River Derwent. 



The " Thetis " individual, which adds a new species to the Aus- 

 tralian fauna, was obtained off Newcastle on March 4th, in 42-48 

 fathoms on a soft muddy bottom. It may have been taken in the 

 neighbourhood of wreckage, as the anchor, planks and other 

 material of the ship " Alhambra," sunk there twelve years 

 previously, were also hauled aboard. It is of interest to note that 

 it is the second species only taken in situ ; all others, with the 

 exception of T. intermedins, have been obtained floating on the 



* Arthur— Trans. N.Z, Inst., xvii., 1885, p. 162, pi. xiv., fig. 2. 



