98 " THETIS " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



FamUy DIODONTID^. 



DICOTYLICHTHYS, Kaup. 



DICOTYLICHTHYS PUNCTULATUS, Kaup. 



Porcupine Fish. 



(Plate xix.) 



Bicotylichthys punctttlatus, Kaup., Arch, fiir Nat., 1855, p. 230. 



Station 23. 



This is a very common form on our coast, and is frequently 

 included in hauls made by the fishermen on the beaches ; it is 

 also often thrown up dead. When the flesh has rotted out the 

 tough dry skin holds the spines firmly, and the light object is 

 trundled about by the wind and buried in the sand hills. The 

 largest specimen I have seen measured seventeen inches in length. 

 One living example only was obtained by the " Thetis " ; it was 

 taken in Newcastle Bight in 16-19 fathoms. 



CHILOMYCTERUS, Bibroji. 



CHILOMYCTERUS JACULIFERUS, Cuvier. 



Javelin Fish. 



DiodonjacuUferus,Cnv., Mem. Mus. Hist. Nat., iv., 1818, p. 130, 



Chilomycterus jaculifera, Giinth., Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., viii., 1870, 

 p. 313. 



Station 17. 



Giinther lias identified this species from New Zealand, and 

 Castelnau* from Victoria (Hobson's Bay). The single specimen 

 here recorded was taken off Broughton Island, north of Port 

 Stephens, in 29-48 fathoms, and measures 230 mm. ( = 9 inches) 

 in length. The peculiarity of the species, emphasised in the name, 

 is the presence of long javelin-like spines. Of two examples in 

 the British Museum, Giinther writes: — "One is distinguished by 

 the extraordinary length of certain spines (supraorbital, dorsal, 

 post dorsal, and post pectoral), as noticed by Cuvier. In the 

 other example these spines are but slightly enlarged, and, in fact, 



* Castelnau— Proc. Zool. Soc. Vict., i., 1872, p. 211. 



