91 



KATHETOSTOMA. 



This genus was formed by Dr. Gunther on a sort of Urano- 

 scopus of Bloch, remarkable by the total absence of scales. 



KATHETOSTOMA. TjMYE. 



TJranoscopus hevis, Bloch., Sehneid. system, page 47, pi. 8. 



__ » Guv. Sf Vol., v. iii., page 319. 



Gunther, Catalogue, v. ii., page 231. 



{Stone Lifter.) 

 Breadth of head two and a-half times in the length, to the 

 base of the caudal ; length of head, from the extremity of the 

 upper jaw to the centre of the posterior part, four times in the 

 same ; the long spines of the shoulder straight or directed rather 

 externally. 



The general colour is of an uniform brown on the upper parts 

 and white below. On the sides of the head, and on the line of 

 separation between the brown and the white there is a reddish 

 pink tinge ; the fins are brown, with the end of the caudal and 

 the edge of the pectorals pink ; the anal is of this last colour. The 

 eyes are red, spotted on their limb with black in very old speci- 

 mens, and yellow in others ; the lips are red. 



It is rather common on the Melbourne Market, but is not 

 generally eaten. I have a large specimen, which is nearly 

 18 inches in length, but this sort does not usually measure more 

 than half that size. 



I have seen several times small specimens not more than six to 

 seven inches long, which may, perhaps, belong to a different 

 species ; they are not quite so broad, the breadth of their head 

 being three times in the total length to the base of the caudal, 

 and the long spines of the shoulder being longer in proportion, 

 and directed rather inwards. The general colour of this variety 

 is a greyish yellow, with two broad black transverse bands on 

 the body ; caudal black, bordered with pink, as are also the pec- 

 torals and the dorsal. Eye yellow. 



Cuvier's specimen, which had been brought from Australia 

 by Peron, belongs to this latter variety ; Bloch's, which he 

 describes from a drawing communicated to him by Latham, was, 

 on the contrary, entirely brown. 



The fins have D. 16. C. 10. A. 13. P. 17. V. 1/5. 



