88 ICHTHYOLOGY 
The fish, after having been preserved in liquor, appears of 
a light silvery grey, with the upper parts rather darker. 
My largest specimen is over four inches long, its dorsal is 
very little prolongated ; the other is about three inches and a 
half, and that I believe a male ; has a long dorsal filament. 
Port Darwin. 
ZANTECLA. 
Teeth on one single row at the upper jaw ; they are very 
numerous, rather large, pointed, and arched ; at the lower jaw 
they are similarly disposed, but shorter and straighter. 
The centre of the snout arched and rather produced in 
front ; maxillaries not extending to the perpendicular from 
the anterior edge of the eye. 
A strip of strong teeth on the vomer. 
General form oval, compressed ; head pointed, covered with 
large scales; eye large; no lateral line; two dorsals, both 
situated on the second half of the back, and each having one 
long and strong spine ; anal very long, having one spine and 
numerous rays ; ventrals abdominal. 
This genus appears to me to differ by its characters from 
all the families established till now ; by most of them it 
comes near the Atherinidce, but, by its unic strong spine at 
each dorsal, and at the anal, and also by its well developed 
dentition, I think it will be the type of a new family, that 
might be called Zantedidw. 
ZANTECLA PUSILLA. 
Height three times in the length to the base of the caudal, 
or thre & e and a third with this included. Head three times 
and two thirds in the first of these dimensions ; eye twice and 
one-third in the length of the head. 
The general form is oval ; the profile being a little more 
convex than the upper one ; the head is attenuated and 
pointed in front ; the lower jaw a little longer than the upper 
one and much thicker ; the opercular pieces are simple and 
covered with scales ; the operculum is round behind ; the 
