l^OTBS ANT) ILLUSTRATIONS OF QUEENSLAND FISEES.—McCULLOCE. 55 
Family HALIOPHID^. 
Body elongate, covered with rudimentary scales imbedded in the skin. 
Lateral line incomi^lete. Head with several series of mucous canals extending 
around the eye, preoperculum, mandible, and nape. Operculum with a strong 
spine. Gill-opening lateral, the membranes broadly united with the isthmus. 
Teeth strong, in one or more series on the jaws. Vomer toothed, palatines 
smooth. Dorsal and anal confluent with the caudal, composed of soft rays, the 
former pi'eeeded by a sti'ong spine. Pectorals well developed; ventrals present 
or absent. 
Includes two genera — Jlaliophis, Rhppell, and Blennodesmiis, Gunther. 
This family is closely allied to Congrogadidm, but differs in the possession 
of a dorsal spine and vomerine teeth, while the gill-membranes are united with 
the isthmus instead of being free. 
Genus HALIOPIIIS, Ruppell. 
HALIOPHIS MALAYANUS, Weber. 
Haliophis malayanus, Weber, Siboga'’ Exped., Fiselie, Ivii., 1913, p. 550, fig. 120. 
Seven specimens are in the old collection of the Australian Museum, which 
agree very well with Weber’s description and figure. 
Xoc. — Derby, North-Western Australia. 
Genus BLENNODESMUS, Gunther. 
Blennodesmus, Gimtlier, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1871, p. 103 {B. scapularis, Gunther). 
Glinther overlooked the strong, partially adpressed spine before the dorsal 
when defining this genus. In this detail it agrees with Haliophis^ but differs 
in having minute ventral fins and smaller scales, ivhile the vomerine teeth are 
also less developed. 
BLENNODESMUS SCAPULARIS, Gunther. 
Blennodesmus scapularis, Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1871, pb Ixvii., fig. a. 
The relative proportions of the head and body and the tail vary in 
different specimens, the length from the tip of the lower jaw to the vent being 
2.7-3 in the total. The largest specimen examined is 81 mm. long. 
Masthead Island, off Port Curtis, Queensland ; in coral pools. Shark 
Bay, Western Australia. Derby, North-Western Australia. 
