86 
MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 
Family LEIOGNATHXM. 
XYSTiEMA DARNLEYENSE sp. nov. 
(Plate XXIII.) 
Depth of body 24 to 2*65, length of head 2*9 to 3-2. longest dorsal spine 5 to 
5-3, length of caudal 2-65 to 2*8, of pectoral 2*8 to 2-95, of ventral 4*95 to 54 in length 
of body. Length of snout 3 to 3*2, diameter of eye 3 to 3-15, width of interorbit 3*25 
to 3-5, length of maxillary 2-8 to 3-25, of mandible 1*9 to 2*1, longest anal spine 2-5 to 
2*75 in length of head. 
Body subovate, the dorsal contour rather more arched than the ventral, 
which is somewhat flattened behind the ventral fins ; width of body 2*35 to 2*4 in its 
depth, which is 45 to *3 more than the length of the head : caudal peduncle about one 
third longer than deep, its least depth 3*5 to 3-8 in the depth of the body and 2*8 to 3-2 
in the length of the head. Head *15 to *25 longer than deep, its upper profile from the 
snout to the dorsal fin linear in small examples, becoming slightly convex on the 
nuchal region in the larger ; lower profile concave and more declivous than the upper. 
Snout obtusely rounded, as long as the eye-diameter, which is *05 to *25 more than the 
convex interorbital width. Jaws equal ; maxillary extending to below or a little 
beyond the anterior border of the eye, the width of its distal extremity 2*75 to 3*1 in 
its length. Preopercle entire. 
Scales 6/47 to 50/13. Cheek-scales in three series ; scales on the upper surface 
of the head extending forward laterally nearly to the nostrils, mesially to above the 
anterior border of the pupil, the premaxillary groove broad and naked, rounded 
behind ; mandible naked. Accessory scale of ventral long and lanceolate, longer than 
the eye -diameter. 
D. ix 10 ; A. iii 7. Dorsal originating above the insertion of the ventral ; 
spines weak and flexible, the second longest, as long as or a little longer than the 
snout and eye, and 1*9 to 2*2 in the depth of the body below it ; anterior soft ray 
equal to or a trifle longer than the fifth spine. Caudal deeply forked, the middle rays 
3*4 to 4*4 in the upper lobe. Anal originating below fourth dorsal ray, the second 
spine somewhat stronger and a little longer than the third, which is subequal to the 
first ray. Pectoral pointed, reaching to or slightly beyond the origin of the anal, the 
seventh ray longest. Ventral inserted behind the base of the pectoral, the outer ray 
longest, reaching midway between its origin and the anterior anal rays ; origin of 
ventral nearer to that of anal than to tip of mandible. 
Gill-rakers short and stout, 7 on the lower branch of the anterior arch, the 
anterior the longest, 3*9 in the eye-diameter and 1*4 in the longest gill -fringes. 
Silvery, the upper parts tinged with yellow ; each scale above the lateral fine 
with an obscure darker central spot, forming longitudinal bars, which follow the 
contour of the back ; below the lateral line are five series of much larger oblong brick- 
red spots. Naked parts of head pale olive or grayish green. Posterior dorsal spines 
and all the rays except the last with a narrow oblique blackish basal spot ; caudal 
