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



Plate 20. 



PSEUDOPHYSIS BAEBATUS (Gunth.). 

 The Australian Eock Cod. 



[Genus PSEUDOPHYSIS (Gunth.). (Sub-kingd. Vertebrata. Class Pisces. Order 

 Anacanthini. Fam. Gadidse.) 



Gen. Char. — Body moderately elongate, tapering from head ; scales small, cycloid, loose ; 

 two dorsal fins ; one anal fin. Ventral fins long, narrow at base ; teeth in a band of several 

 rows of equal small size (outer ones not larger than the others) ; no teeth on vomer or palate 

 bones. Chin with a barbel. Confined to Australasia.] 



Description. — Rays: brancbiostegal, 7 ; ana], 44 to 57; dorsals, anterior 9 

 to 11, posterior 48 to 57; ventral, 5 to 6 ; pectoral, 22 to 26 • caudal, 26 to 30. 

 Scales: along lateral line, 116 to 128, of which about only 104 are tubular- vertical 

 scales, 15 to 18 above lateral line, 31 to 47 below lateral line, from first dorsal. 

 Color : whole body pale brownish-olive, the centre or basal part of the scales, on 

 lower part of the sides, lighter and their edges minutely freckled, fading into pinkish- 

 white on the throat and belly ; slightly darker, and with slight purplish tinge on 

 back, top of head, snout and lips ; but the operculum silvery. Ventral fins pinkish- 

 white, like the throat. Pectoral fin pale-purplish, with a large purplish-black spot 

 at the upper part of its base. Dorsals, caudal, and anal fins purplish at base, with 

 a dull orange tinge higher up, and with a narrow blackish-purple border; the lower 

 portion of each fin is covered nearly up to the margin by very small olive scales on a 

 loose skin. Teeth: small, short, hooked, subequal, forming a broad band on each 

 side in each jaw, about 4 or 5 rows in width in each patch, and about 78 above and 48 

 below in length ; the lower teeth a little larger than the upper. A large double oval 

 patch of pharyngeal teeth, as large as those of the jaws, on each side. Fins: ventral 

 fin with rather narrow base, only the first two rays simple, prolonged into filaments, 

 the second longest, the first about as long as the pectoral, and reaching less than 

 half way from its base to the anus ; the other three rays branched, and forming, with 

 the membrane, the triangular fin, less than half the length of the filaments. 



Reference.— Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. Feb. 1863, p. 116. 



The following are the dimensions of a rather large specimen : — 



Measurements. 

 Length from snout to distal end of caudal ... 



„ of caudal ... 



„ from snout to anterior edge of orbit ... 



„ of orbit ... 



„ of head to end of operculum 



„ from snout to anus (measured along ventral edge) 



„ from snout to base of pectoral 



„ from snout to origin of first dorsal .., 



„ of pectoral 



„ of first dorsal 



„ of second dorsal 



„ of anal 



„ of second ventral filament ... 

 * „ of barbel ... 

 Width between eyes 

 Depth of body in front of dorsal ... 

 Thickness of body in front of dorsal 

 Height of first dorsal 

 Height of second dorsal at highest posterior end 



Ins. 



lines. 



17 



6 



1 



5 



1 



34 







9 



3 



8 



6 



8 



4 



3 



4 



10 



1 



9 



1 



6 



8 



8 



8 



6 



2 



3 







11 



1 



3 



4 



9 



2 



10 



1 



3 



1 



3 



* In females of about the same size the barbel is only about 5 lines long, and the longest ventral filament 1 inch 

 lines. In some specimens the barbel is only 3 lines long. 



[29] 



