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Show 668 DR. A. GUNTHER ON NEW FISHES [Nov. 21, gin of the orbit. The vent is twice as distant from the extremity the caudal as from the snout. The dorsal fin commences above the posterior half of the pectoral, and is lower than the body ; caudal fin rounded. The anal commences immediately behind the vent. Pectoral half as long as the head. Ventrals close together, reduced to a pair of fine filaments about as long as the eye. Body brownish, marbled with darker, sides of the head with small round yellowish spots ; a black yellow-edged ocellus in the scapulary reyion; undulated yellowish line along the middle of the nape and head; fins greyish. One specimen, 3 inches long (no. 364), from the Godeffroy Museum ; it was obtained at Port Mackay (North-east Australia). HALIDESMUS, g. n. This genus may be referred to the group Brotulina, of the family Ophidiidee. Body elongate, compressed, band-like, covered with minute scales, and with three lateral lines on each side. Eye of moderate size. One long dorsal and anal, not continuous with the caudal. Ventrals reduced to a pair of short filaments, close together, scarcely in front of the pectorals. A series of conical teeth in each jaw, none on the palate. Lower jaw somewhat projecting beyond the upper ; barbels none. Six branchiostegals; gill-opening wide; pseudobranchiee none. No anal papilla. HALIDESMUS SCAPULARIS. (Plate LXVII. fig. B.) D. 64. A. 48. C. 11. V. 2. The height of the body is one sixteenth of the total length (without caudal), the length of the head one tenth. Snout as long as the diameter of the eye, which is one fifth of the length of the head. The maxillary does not extend to below the middle of the eye; mandibulary joint below the posterior margin of the orbit. The teeth are comparatively strong; there are a few smaller ones behind the principal series with which each jaw is armed. Beside the lateral line which runs along the median line of the fish, there is another along the base of the dorsal fin, and a third along the base of the anal. The latter is split up into two branches opposite to the vent, one branch following the median line of the abdomen, and the other running along the side of the abdomen; the two branches are reunited below the pectoral. The vent is twice as distant from the root of the caudal as from the end of the snout. The dorsal fin commences above the extremity of the pectoral, is not quite as high as the body, and subcontinuous with the caudal. Caudal fin rounded nearly as long as the head. The anal fin is distinctly separated from the caudal. Pectoral fin well developed, as long as the postorbital part of the head. Each ventral reduced to a very small and short filament, which, however, contains two rays. Brown, fins black • an ovate deep-black spot in the scapulary region, above the pectoral fin. |
