Zoology.'] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Fishes. 



Plate 5. 



LEPIDOTEIGLA VANESSA (Rich.). 



The Spiny-sided Butterely-Gurnard. 



[Genus LEPLDOTRIGLA (Gcnth.) (Sub-kingd. Vertebrata. Class Pisces. Order 

 Acanthopteiygia. Earn. Triglidse.) 



Gen. Char. — Head subrhomboidal, with the top and sides bony, covered with granular ridges ; 

 scales of body moderately large (much larger than in Trigla) ; anterior dorsal fin much shorter 

 than posterior dorsal ; three long slender pectoral filaments ; teeth villiform in numerous rows 

 on both jaws and a few on the vomer, none on the palate bones ; air-bladder bilobed in front.] 



Description. — Fin-rays: dorsals, anterior 10, posterior 17 ; anal, 15 or 17; 

 ventral, 6 ; pectoral, 10; caudal, 29. All the rays of the first dorsal and the first 

 four of the second dorsal simple ; all the rays of the anal simple except the penulti- 

 mate one ; 3 lower rays of the pectoral simple ; first ray of ventrals simple. Scales : 

 5 rows above and 17 to 22 rows below the lateral line, finely serrated at posterior 

 edge ; those of lateral line 71, larger than the others and each with one or two large 

 compressed spines ; the posterior end of the lateral line branches into two ridges, with 

 about 17 pores on each, running one along the second ray above the middle, and the 

 other along the ray next below the middle. A row of 10 Small and about 20 larger 

 spines extends on each side at base from second ray of the first dorsal to the last ray 

 of second dorsal. Head with profile concave, snout short, suborbital angles only 

 slightly produced beyond a right angle, with 3 or 4 short spines on each side of the 

 one at the angle, which is half a line long ; eye large, diameter two-fifths the depth of 

 the head ; head, from snout to tip of opercular spine, one-fourth the total length to 

 upper end of caudal ; depth of head vertically under middle of eye equal to length 

 from tip of snout to same vertical line; anterior frontals forming upper anterior 

 quarter of orbits serrated, two of the teeth larger than the others ; no spine behind 

 the eye : suprascapular spine, opercular spine, and coracoid spine about 1 line long ; 

 space between the orbits very deeply concave, equal to diameter of eye. Third ray 

 of first dorsal longest, five-sixths the depth of body at its base ; fifth (or first 

 branched) ray of second dorsal longest, and equal to the fifth ray of first dorsal ; 

 pectoral reaching to seventh ray of anal, or second of dorsal ; eighth ray of anal 

 longest and equal to seventh of first dorsal. Colors : head, back, and upper portion 

 of sides pale dull brick-red, clouded with irregular large darker patches, the darkest 

 of which is on upper base of tail ; dorsal fins very pale-brownish, with a reddish tint 

 above ; a large rounded blackish spot with an indistinct whitish border extends 

 from the fifth to the seventh ray of the first dorsal, nearer to the upper than the 

 lower ends of the rays ; caudal whitish at end margin, red at base, and red rays 

 and purplish membranes at middle ; . anal and ventral fins opaque whitish or nearly 

 colorless towards the base and pale reddish towards margin ; pectoral filaments 

 pinkish-white, slightly chequered with brownish near base ; pectoral fins with two or 

 three large black blotches near end of first to third rays on under edge of inner side, 

 the membrane between the rays dull greenish-yellow, with a broad border of intense 

 bright ultramarine blue and numerous irregularly scattered oblong spots of the same 

 color between the rays ; outer side of pectorals brownish-pink ; chin, throat, and 

 Dec. i. [ 17 ] C 



