THE 
SOUTHERN TRACHICHTHYS. 
Generic Character. 
Head rounded in front: Eyes large: Mouth wide, 
toothlefs, defeending. 
Branchiojlegous Membrane furnifhed with eight 
rays, of which the four lowermoil are rough 
on the edges. 
Scales rough : Abdomen cataphradled with large 
carinated feales. 
This remarkable fifh is reprefented on the plate 
in its natural fize. The body is moderately thick, 
more efpecially on the fore part: the head is very 
large ; the mouth opening downwards in an almoft 
perpendicular direction, but in a curved line ; and, 
when clofed, the outline of the head or front is com¬ 
pletely oval. The eyes are extremely large, and the 
iris appears to have been of a lilvery hue, or as in 
generality of fifhes. The mouth is deftitute of teeth, 
and the tongue, which is moderately large, isadnate, 
or fixed to the lower jaw, to the extremity of which 
it almoft reaches. The Opcrcula or gill-covers are 
furnifhed on the upper part with a large, ftrong, and 
rough fpine, which is very thick at its bafe: a 
fmaller and fhorter fpine alfo occurs at the lower 
part : 
