Zoology.] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Fishes. 



Plates 16 and 17. 



ARRIPIS TRUTTACEUS (Cuv. and Val. sp.)« 



The Salmon Arripis. 



[Genus ARRIPIS (Jenyns). (Sub-kingd. Vertebrata. Class Pisces. Order Acanthop- 

 terygia. Pam. Percidse.) 



Gen. Char. — Form moderately elongate, fusiform. Branchiostegal rays 7. All the teeth 

 villiform ; numerous rows of teeth on the palatine bones and on the vomer. Tongue smooth. 

 One dorsal fin with nine slender spines and several branched rays. Anal fin with three spines 

 and several branched rays. Caudal fin deeply forked. Preoperculum denticulated. Scales very 

 finely ciliated at posterior edge ; fan of diverging ridges nearly or quite obsolete, replaced by 

 fine close strise parallel to the anterior truncated margin. Pyloric appendages numerous. 

 Confined to Australia.] 



Description. — Form: regular, elongate, fusiform; top of the head flat or 

 slightly convex, and destitute of scales, the lateral boundaries formed by the lateral 

 projecting ridg'es of the upper edges of the orbits. Diameter of orbit one-fourth 

 of the length of the head in specimens of ordinary length of 12 inches, (a smaller 

 proportion in larger specimens) and about its own length from tip of snout, but one- 

 sixth less than distance between the superciliary ridges across top of head ; depth 

 one-ninth less than the length of the head : length of head 3| in the total length to 

 middle margin of caudal fin. Fin-rays: ventral, 1 spinous and 5 or 6 branched; 

 pectoral, usually 16; anal, 3 spinous and usually 10 branched, last two from one 

 base; dorsal, 9 spinous and usually 16 branched; caudal, 17, with 4 to 5 short ones 

 above and 4 to 7 short ones below. Scales: along lateral line, with tubes, about 50 ; 

 without tubes, on tail, about 3 or 4 : vertical rows of scales, 6 above lateral line ; 12 

 below lateral line. Color: back and sides above lateral line blackish-olive (with, 

 in some lights, a bluish-black cast), clouded with large irregular ill-defined darker 

 spots, indistinctly arranged in vertical groups, in individuals of 11 inches or more in 

 length, but forming about 28 alternately longer and shorter narrow distinct vertical 

 bands in specimens of 8 inches or less, gradually becoming paler to the level of lower 

 edge of pectoral, and destitute of the darker mottling, and with a pale greenish- 

 bronze metallic reflection, becoming silvery or pearly-white, with slight pink or blue 

 reflections, on lower part of throat, abdomen, and tail ; operculum and preoperculum 

 reflecting and colored like side of body ; interoperculum and suboperculum white and 

 silvery, like abdomen ; top of head, snout, and both lips, in front of eye, and portion 

 of skin outside the iris, sooty -black; hinder part of dentary bone white; iris greenish- 

 gold, with a blackish arched mark above and below ; along, or slightly under lateral 

 line, a row of about 12 large round spots of the color of lacquered brass, about their 

 own diameter apart, and of about equal size from operculum to tail, and below this 

 3 or 4 similar but shorter rows. Pectoral fin rich indian-yellow, with a blackish 

 base, tip, and edge. Ventral fins almost colorless, pinkish at base, yellowish for 

 distal two-thirds. Dorsal membrane pale blackish, with yellowish rays, the branched 

 tips of those of the second dorsal forming a dark border to the fin, the membrane 

 minutely dotted with black under the lens. Anal fin colorless, like ventral, but the 

 membrane with microscopic black dots, and the branching* ends of the rays blackish. 

 Caudal fin very dark-olive, with the tips and posterior edge blackish. Pancreatic 

 cseca of pylorus of very numerous (170) short slender branches, chiefly simple. 



[ 19] 



