EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND.— OGILBY. 
85 
maxillary extending little more than inidway along the >snout, its length 3 to 3*2 
in that of the head^ the width of its distal extremity 34 to 3-7 in its distance from 
the eye and 2*5 to 2-25 in the eye-diameter. Preopercular border entire. 
Young with minute teeth on the piws, vomer, x:)alatines, and tongue; 
these gradually disappear, so that a specimen of 15 in. merely has the jaw bones 
coarsely ridged and a feebly crescentic series of deeply imbedded teeth on the 
head of the A^omer. 
Lateral line strongly curved to below the lOth dorsal ray, the length of 
the curA^ed section 1-3 to 1-4 in that of the straight, Avhich is armed posteriorly 
with from 8 to 12 weak scutes. 
Dorsal thi Avith A’i to 0, i 19 rays; procumbent spine small and concealed; 
spinous dorsal consisting of six low Tinconneeted spines in the young; Avith 
advancing age these disappear from the front until all liave been absorbed in 
the muscular tissue, Soft dorsal originating midway between the tip of the snout 
and the root of the caudal or slightly m^arer to the latter; anterior 10 to 5 rays 
gradedly filiform, extending in the young well beyond the tip of the caudal, 
but decreasing considerably AA'ith age; l)e]und the filamentous rays, the others 
are of ecjual length to the last. Avhich is slightly produc(‘d. Caudal fin deeply and 
Avidely forked, the lobes equal, one tliird of the body-length. Anal Avith ii too, i 16 
rays, similar to but not so long as the dorsal, Avitli only 4 or 5 filamentous rays, 
of which the first extends to the tip of the caudal. Pectoral with 18 rays, its 
length 2-45 to 2-6 in that of the body ; 5tli ray longest, extending to above the 
11th anal ray. Vcmtral iixserted Avell in advam'e of the pectoral, the two outer 
rays filiform in the young, reaching to the root of the caudal; the filaments 
rapidly disapi)ear with age, and in specimens OA'er 10 in. the fin is normal, 
1-9 to 2.33 in the length of the pectoral and 5 to 5-85 in that of the body, Avith 
the outer ray the longest, reaching midway to between the 6th and 8th anal rays. 
Gill-rakers short and stout, 22 on the lower branch of the anterior arch, 
the longest one tenth to one twelfth of the length of the head. Vent about one 
and a half time neanu' to the origin of the A^entral than to that of the anal. 
L^pper surface golden bronze, sliading imperceptibly into the iridescent 
silA^ery of the lower sides and the ln*east; young lighter in color than the adult, 
Avith fiA^e or six broad dull blue bands extending from the back to below the 
middle of the sides; iiuehal ridge blackish. Upper surface of head, snout, and 
jaws light broAAUiish yellow, the cheeks and opercles silvery; oi)ercular spot small 
and inconspicuous or absent. First dorsal ray, tips of tlie produced rays, and a 
narrow bar along the base of eacli interradial membrane black; caudal Avashed 
Avith gold; anal and pectorals colorless; ventral colorless, the elongate rays 
blackish in the young, (inclioa: a native of India.) 
Described from four specimens, measuring respectively 165, 275, 290, 
.and 338 millim. (from tip of snout to root of caudal), obtained from Raine Island, 
