Zoology.'] 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. 



[Fishes. 



membrane brownish-purple, minutely dotted with black ; anal, membrane purplish, 

 rays dull orange, the hinder portion blackish towards margin. Iris golden-yellow, 

 with an inner pearly-white ring-, with reddish and purplish marks outside. 



Measurements of Two Specimens. 





Ft. 



ins. lines. 



Ft. ins. lines 



Total length to end of caudal 



.. 1 



11 . 



.. 1 10 



Length of head to end of operculum 



.. 



6 . 



..056 



„ from tip of snout to anterior edge of orbit 



.. 



1 6 . 



..016 



Diameter of orbit 



.. 



8 . 



..008 



Length from tip of snout to end of preoperculum 



.. 



3 9 . 



..036 



„ „ base of pectoral 



... 



6 . 



.. 5 10 



„ „ „ ventral 



.. 



6 9 . 



..064 



„ j, first anal spine 



.. 1 



2 . 



.. 11 5 



Greatest depth ... 



.. 



8 . 



..068 



„ thickness 



.. 



3 10 . 



..034 



Length of pectoral 



... 



3 3 . 



..031 



„ spine of ventral 



.. 



1 9 . 



..015 



„ 1st soft ray 



... 



3 7 . 



..032 



2nd „ " 



.. 



2 7 . 



. 2 6 



„ 1st anal spine ... 



.. 



11 . 



.. 10 



„ 2nd „ 



.. 



1 8 . 



..019 



3rd 



... 



1 5 . 



..016 



„ 1st branched ray 



.. 



2 4 . 



— 



„ 1st dorsal spine 



.. 



5 . 



..008 



„ 2nd 



.. 



1 . 



..013 



„ 5th „ 



.. 



1 10 . 



..020 



10th „ 



.. 



1 2 . 



..013 



„ 1st branched ray 



.. 



1 11 . 



— 



„ caudal fin 



.. 



2 4 . 



..024 



Number of scales in one inch, about middle 



Four 



Five 



Reference. — = Datnia (?) ambigua, Rich., Voy. Ereb. and Ter., t. 19 = 

 Dulcs auratus, Castlenau, P.Z.S. Vict., vol. 1, p. 55 = Ctenolates Macquariensis, 

 Giinth., P.Z.S. 1871, t. 33. 



The largest specimens are deeper in proportion to the length 

 than the smaller, and have a more concave profile ; and the eye, as 

 usual, is smaller in proportion than in the younger ones. 



This beautiful fish is much esteemed for the table, and is com- 

 monly about 31bs. or 4lbs. weight. An enormous specimen, of 

 which the dimensions are given in the first column, weighed 8f lbs. 



Dr. Richardson counts only six branchiostegal rays in his dried 

 specimens, but there are seven in the fresh fish ; and I think there 

 can be no doubt of the correctness of the synonyms above quoted. 

 The last anal ray by some may be counted as two, being divided 

 to the base ; and the number of scales counted along the lateral 

 line depends very much on where you cease to count the small 

 posterior ones ; so these differences, which induced Count Castlenau 

 to propose a new specific name, I think unimportant. 



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