Zoology.] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Fishes. 



belly pure white; iris yellow and black, mottled with green. Teeth: a small group 

 of 5 small teeth on anterior end of vomer ; about 9 longitudinal rows of minute 

 villiform teeth on each side of upper jaw, about 5 rows in lower jaw. 



The transverse section of the body shows a deep wide channel along the back, in 

 which the dorsal fins are set, the bounding ridges set with small spines, the sides 

 with a nearly straight slope to the lateral line, which is made prominent by an obtuse 

 angulation, set with the spiny scales, from which the sides and belly are broadly 

 rounded. Plates of the head marked with fine radiating- granulated ridges. Opercular 

 spine short. Length, 9 inches 3 lines ; depth, 1 inch 7 lines ; diameter of eye, 7 

 lines ; length of head, 2 inches 6 lines ; pectoral fin, 2 inches 11 lines. 



Reference. — Rich. Trans. Zool. Soc. ; v. 3, t. 5 ; f. 1. 



The comparatively large size of the scales separates the species 

 of Lepidotrigla at a glance from the true Triglce, and this character, 

 together with the black blotch on the first dorsal and bright-blue 

 border and spotting of the inner side of the pectorals, easily distin- 

 guish the present fish from the other somewhat similar gurnards 

 found in Australian seas. The only specimens I have seen of this 

 beautiful fish were caught in Hobson's Bay in the month of August 

 in different years. It inhabits deep water and feeds on small shells 

 and Crustacea. Like most of the gurnards, it groans or makes a 

 grunting noise when taken out of the water until it dies. 



The beautiful coloring of this fish in the fresh state has not been 

 represented before. 



Explanation of Figures. 



Plate 5. — Fig. 1, side view, eleven-twelfths of the natural size. The pectoral fin in the 

 figure is twisted, to show the beautiful coloring of the inner side, so that the ventral or lower 

 simple rays appear on the upper edge. Fig. la, head viewed from above, one-twelfth less than 

 the natural size, showing form of anterior end of snout, composed of the spinous ends of the 

 two suborbital hones, and the scapular opercular and preopercular spines. Fig. lb, inside upper 

 view of mouth, showing the small central group of few teeth on anterior end of vomer and 

 the numerous rows of minute villiform teeth on each side of jaw, enlarged one-half more than 

 natural size. Fig. \c, inside view of lower jaw and tongue, showing the fewer rows of teeth on 

 lower jaw, one-half larger than nature. Fig. id, one of the terminal porous branches of the 

 caudal extension of the lateral line, highly magnified. Fig. le, scale from lateral line, showing 

 the large median and two smaller vertical pores and the projecting spine, magnified three times 

 larger than nature. Fig. If, ordinary scale from a little below the lateral line, showing the 

 serration of the posterior margin, three times larger than nature. 



Frederick McCoy. 



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