FURTHER ICHTHYOLOGICAL MISCELLANEA. 
139 
Family SPAEIDAE. 
ALLOTAITJS, gen. nov. 
Orthotype, Dentex s'pariformis Ogilby (New Fish. Qld. Coast, Dec. 20, 1910, 
p. 91 ; Mem. Qld. Mus. v, 1916, j). 169, pi. xxi) — Allotaius spariformis. 
Ogilby had some justifiable misgivings when, through lack of specimens or 
literature, he placed spariformis in the genus Dentex, from which no later authors 
have removed it. Yet a new generic name is here very necessary since the tautotype 
of the genus Dentex Cuvier (Mem. Mus.- Hist. Nat. Paris, i, 1815, pp. 456 and 487) is 
Spams dentex Linne (Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1758, p. 281 ; ed. 12, 1766, p. 471) figured on 
plate 268 of Bloch. 
Bloch’s figure differs from Ogilby’s in many respects, the new Australian genus 
having the following characters : — 
Preorbita! shalloAV, not crenulated. Posterior nostril slit-like. Eye large. 
Preopercular flange scaly. Five rows of scales on cheeks. Form of body deep. More 
than 45 scales in lateral line. Scales of body fairly uniform in size. Twelve dorsal 
spines. No fin spines or rays produced. 
On comparing actual specimens, the differences become even more marked : 
the larger eyes, much more elevated upper profile of head, larger scales, differently 
shaped preorbital, and less scaly interorbital of the Australian spariformis at once 
separating it from the European Dentex. 
From the Japanese Tains, my new genus differs in the shape of the head and 
fewer anal rays. 
Family PLATACIDAE. 
Genus ZABIDIUS Whitley, 1930. 
Zahidius Whitley, Mem. Qld. Mus. x, 1, Aug. 28, 1930, p. 17. Orthotype, Platax nove- 
maculmtu8 McCulloch. Id. Weber and Beaufort, Fish. Indo-Austr. Archip. vii, 1936, p. 182, note. 
This genua is distinguished from Chaetodipterus notably in having no produced 
dorsal spine and in having the margins of the dorsal and anal fins rounded. 
ZABIDIUS NOVEMACULEATUS (McCulloch). 
Platax novemacideatus McCulloch, Biol. Res. Endeavour, iv, 4, Oct. 31, 1916, p. 188, pi. Iv, 
fig. 1. Off Gloucester Head and Bowen, Queensland. Id. Paradice and Whitley, Mem. Qld. Mus. 
ix, 1, 1927, pp. 90 and 95. Id. Barnard, Ann. S- African Mus. xxi, 2, 1927, p. 605. 
Zahidius novemaculeatus Whitley, Mem. Qld. Mus. x, 1930, p. 17. 
A beautiful specimen, about 355 mm. in standard length (Qld. Mus. No. I. 
5595) from Salamander Rocks, Cape Cleveland, Queensland ; presented by Mr. 
G. Coates, who remarks : — “ Not an uncommon fish in local coastal waters. I have 
seen them caught at all depths from surface to sixteen fathoms. They apparently 
