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back at about one-fourth of the height of the body ; this line is 

 very sinuous ; it begins at the upper angle of the operculum, 

 curves itself towards the back, presents several sinuosities, and 

 extends towards the tail, but curls downwards before it reaches 

 the root of the caudal ; it is formed of a series of small ridges. 

 The dorsal fin begins by three short and isolated spines, which 

 go on increasing in length ; the fourth spine is very long, com- 

 pressed, and strong ; it ends in a filiform appendice, which makes 

 it as long as the body of the fish is high ; its membrane is very 

 narrow till a short distance from the body, where it extends to 

 the following spine ; this (the fifth) has the same form as the 

 precedent, but its filament is not so long ; its membrane extends 

 to the following spine, at a greater height than the one of 

 the fourth. These are followed by two more spines (making 

 in all seven), which are shorter than the others, and the last 

 has no filamentary appendice. The other part of the fin, 

 composed of seventeen soft rays, is intimately connected with 

 the other, and not sensibly higher ; the rays go on decreasing 

 insensibly in height to the end. The caudal is large, slightly 

 emarginated ; it is formed of seventeen long rays and of three 

 shorter ones on each side ; these are in a great part covered with 

 scales. The anal has one very small spine and one very large 

 one, the latter being about eight times the length of the other, 

 and very broad ; the soft rays are nine in number, the two first 

 being a little longer than the second spine, and the others 

 decreasing to the last. The ventrals have a very large, com- 

 pressed, arched spine, having the form of a broad sword, and 

 being two-thirds as long as the head, the first of the five soft rays 

 is still a little longer than this spine. Pectorals rather large, of 

 eighteen rays, the first not more than one-half the length of the 

 second ; the total length of the fin is equal to the one of the ven- 

 tral. All the spines are strongly striated. 



The general colour of the fish is of a dirty green, with the 

 head and the anterior part of the back tinged with purple ; the 

 fins are of the latter colour, with the spines pink ; the caudal is 

 posteriorly bordered with green ; eye brown. 



I have only seen one specimen of this fish ; it was brought to 

 the Melbourne Market in November, 1871, from "Western Port, 

 and the fishmongers said it was the first time they had seen it. 

 Total length, 25 inches. 



