A NEW FISH , REPUTED TO BE POISONOUS, FROM QUEENSLAND. 179 
The Diacope rivulata of Cuvier and Valenciennes 6 with second anal spine 
longer than the third, more elevated soft dorsal fin and several rows of nuchal 
scales and different coloration is only superficially similar ; moreover, specimens 
from Port Moresby and the Andaman Islands in the Australian Museum have 
more strongly denticulated preoperculum and narrower bands of palatine 
teeth, also a prominent silver spot below dorsal fin. 
Ogilby 7 recorded Lutianus gibbus (Forskal) from the “ Torres Group 55 
and his specimen may belong to this new species. 
The Australian Museum has specimens labelled as Lutjanus gibbus (mostly 
small) from Samoa ; Funafuti, Ellice Group ; Hog Harbour, New Hebrides ; 
and Port Moresby, New Guinea. These have the eye comparatively larger, 
preopercular notch deeper, and upper profile of head much less convex than 
in my new species. The lower jaw is included, and the specimens in general 
resemble Day’s 8 figure of an adult, less than one foot long. The species was 
originally briefly described as “ Scicena gibbet ” by Forskal 9 from the Red 
Sea, as being red, with white spots on the scales and- the back gibbous, etc. 
Through the courtesy of Mr. John She wan, Curator of the Macleay 
Museum, the University of Sydney, I have been enabled to examine the type- 
specimens of several of Sir William Macleay ’s species of Mesoprion and 
Genyoroge (= Lutjanus , sensu latissimo) for comparison with the new species. 
Mesoprion obscurus Macleay, from the Endeavour River, has the 
pre-operculum scarcely notched, body crossed by 9 or 10 dark bands, and 
some silvery streaks below eye. 
M. roseigaster Macleay, from Rockingham Bay, has deeper form, Sc. 40, 
eye large, and no fossa between it and nostrils. 
M. bidens Macleay, from New Guinea, has the preoperculum triangularly 
gashed to receive the interopercular knob, a broad patch of vomerine teeth, 
and Sc. about 50, the scale rows ascending obliquely both above and below 
the lateral line. 
The types of Genyoroge unicolor Alleyne and Macleay, from Percy 
Islands, Queensland, are small specimens, yet they bear a superficial resemblance 
to my new species, which might well be identified as unicolor from the original 
figure. However, the actual specimens have more than 50 transverse scale-rows 
which ascend obliquely both above and below the lateral line, an increased 
number of nuchal scales, vomerine teeth in a broader triangular band, and 
palatine teeth in a narrow strip, whilst the second and third anal spines are 
subequal. As the name unicolor was anticipated by Castelnau, I renamed 
this species Lutjanus castelnaui in 1928. 
6 Cuvier and Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss. ii, 1828, p. 414, pi. xxxviii. Coromandel, etc. 
7 Ogilby, Ann. Qld. Mus. ix, 1908, p. 5. 
8 Day, Fish. India, 1875, p. 43, pi. xiii, fig. 2. 
0 Forskal, Descr. Anim. 1775, p. 46. 
