75 



CHEILODACTTLTJS NIGRICANS. 



Cheilodactylus nigricans, Richard., Proceed. Zool. Soc, 1850, 



page 63. 

 Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1861, 



v. vii., p. 270. 

 Gunther, Catal., v. ii., p. 79. 



(TJie Butter Fish.) 



This is much more common than the other sorts on the Melbourne 

 Market, and is found all the year round. The colour is of a blueish 

 grey, covered with brown spots, which on the sides take the form 

 of irregular longitudinal lines ; lower parts of the body of a dirty 

 white ; the head has a copper tinge on its upper part, and a gilt one 

 onits sides. There are generally two brown bands on the operculum. 

 Eye yellow ; dorsal of an obscure olive colour, spotted with brown ; 

 caudal and anal similar, with a narrow terminal white edge ; 

 pectorals of a dark brown ; ventrals similar, with the part nearest 

 to the body becoming white. In some specimens, the colour is 

 darker, but the spots always exist. It is usually about a foot 

 long, but sometimes it attains twenty-six inches ; in these very 

 old ones the spots on the fins often disappear, but those of the 

 body are permanent. 



It is by mistake that the authors describe this fish as of an 

 uniform blackish grey. 



CHEILODACTTLTJS GIBBOSTJS, 



Cheilodactylus gibbosus, Richard., Transac Zool. Soc, v. iii., 

 p. 102 ; Proceed. Zool. Soc, 1859, pi. 2, fig. 3. 



D. 18—25. C. 15. A. 3—10. P. 13. 

 Height three and a-quarter times in total length ; head four 

 and a-half times in same : eye three and eight-tenth times in 

 length of head. The upper profile is rather short, and very 

 gibbous over the head ; the mouth is extensible ; the teeth rather 

 long for this genus ; the cheeks and the two opercles are covered 

 with small scales. On the upper surface of the head there are 

 on each side two large tubercles, the one situated over the 

 anterior margin of the eye, and the other in front, just above the 

 insertion of the lip. The lateral line follows the back, at about 

 one- third the height of the fish at its insertion, and approximating 



