SOME FISHES OF THE FAMILY LEIOGNATHIDJE. 
103 
decreasing in size posteriorly ; lateral liiie complete, dipping a little before following 
its fairly even and gently curved course below the dorsal fin, and terminating a trifle 
in advance of the root of the caudal ; axillary ventral scale almost as long as ventral 
sjnne. 
Dorsal preceded by a large j:)rocumhent spine ; first true dorsal s])ine very small ; 
the second much produced and curved proximally ; the third nearly one-seventh the 
length of the second, and tlie posterior spines rapidly decreasing in height ; base of 
soft dorsal fin equal to that of soft anal ; scaly sheaths protect the bases of the dorsal 
and anal spines, and rows of spines, Avhich hardly break the skin, flank the bases of 
the rays ; first anal spine very small, situated on a vertical with the first dorsal ray ; 
second anal spine profluced, nearly tljree times as long as the third ; third dorsal and 
anal spines weakly serrated : pectorals rounded, fourth rays longest ; ventrals 
reaching, Avhen adpressed, a short distance along the long procumbent anal spine ; 
vent large, with two openings ; caudal strongly forked, the lobes subequal to head. 
The colours have now faded but Avere originally described as ‘‘ silvery, washed 
AA’ith blue on the back ; sides of the head tinged Avith gold : snout, and a band from 
the upper angle of the eye to the opercle, black.” 
Described and figured from the holotype of Equula symihursti Ramsay & 
Ogilby, a specimen 151 mm. in standard length or 7^ inches in total length, with the 
mouth extended. Museum Registered No. B. 9962. 
LocaUiy . — Hood Lagoon, South-eastern Ncay Guinea ; purchased from Mr. 
Harry Smithurst. 
In the old collection of the Queensland Museum, there are four small specimens 
labelled '' LeiognaiMis fasdahis '' from Cape York, Queensland. These agree A^ ith 
Ramsay & Ogilby’s type, but the elongated dorsal spine does not extend so far back- 
wards, doubtless owing to their immaturity. 8avilIc-Kent recorded “ Eqmda fasciata’' 
from Queensland, and these arc almost certainly the specimens upon which his 
record was based. These specimens are intermediate in size betAveen the types of 
Equula (mna and E. smithursti and demonstrate that the two are conspecific and, 
in my opinion, synonyms of Aurigeqimla longispinis (Cuv. & VaL). 
Specimens in the Australian Museum labelled Leiognathus fasciatus from 
Samoa (L". S. Bur. Fisheries collection) and Malekula, Ncav Hebrides (Cummins & 
Stevens) also belong to this species. 
Gomis EQUULA Cuvier, 1816. 
Equula Cuvier, 5Iern. Mus, d'Hist. Nat., Paris, i., “ 18i5 March 1816, pp. 463 and 466. 
Tautotypo, Scomher equula (Korskaal) [ ^ Ponnaterro]. Date of publication Sherborn, 
Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (8), xiii., 1914, p. 365. Id. Cuvier, Regne Anim. ed. 1, ii., “ 1817 ” = 
before 7 Doc. 1816, p. 323. Date of publication fide Mathews, Novit. Zool. xviii., 191 1, p. 18. 
Id. Cuvier, Regno Anim. ed. 2, ii., April 1829, p. 212. Orlliotype, Scomher equida, designated. 
Not Equula Guichenot, Diet. f)itt. d’Hist. Nat. viii., 1839, p. 335. Orthotype, FJquula ensifera 
Cuvier ; and Valencienne.s, Diet. Univ. d’Hist. Nat. v„ 1861, p. 382. Orthotype, E. ensijera 
Cuv., which are strictly referable to tlie genus LeiognathuH, 
Head about one-tliird of standard length ; lower limb of preopcrculum serrated ; 
mouth protractile obliquely dowmvards ; second dorsal spine tiot produced ; eight 
