| OCR Text |
Show 1887.] ON A FISH OF THE GENUS GIRELLA. 393 5. Description of a little-known Australian Fish of the Girella. By J. DOUGLAS-OGILBY, Ichthyol. Dept. Australian Museum. (Communicated by F. DAY, Esq., F.Z.S.) [Eeceived March 26, 1887-] GIRELLA CYANEA,, Macleay, Descr.Cat. Austr. Fishes, i. p. 109. B. vi. D. 14-15/13. A. 3/11. V. 1/5. P. 19-20. C. 17. L. lat. 55-56. L. tr. 11-12/26. Ceec. pyl. num. Vert.il/I6. Length of head 5-5^, of caudal fin 4-4|, height of body 2f-3j in the total length. Eye-4-4^ diameters in the length of the head, l|-l|in that of the snout, and l|-lf apart. Interorbital space convex ; upper profile of head rounded. Upper jaw the longer ; cleft of mouth small and transverse. The maxilla reaches to beneath the posterior nostril. The height of the preorbital is less than its breadth. Opercle with a small flat spine. Vertical limb of preopercle inclining slightly backwards from the angle, very slightly denticulated in the smaller, smooth in the larger example. Teeth-A single row of strong tricuspid teeth in the jaws ; behind these, at some distance, a broad band of less developed but similar teeth. Fins-Dorsal spines of moderate strength, increasing in length to about the seventh, whence there is little or no difference to the last, which is | of the length of the head ; the rays are about equal to the spines in height, but the length of their base is little more than half that of tbe spinous dorsal; the dorsal fin commences above the 7th and ends above the 43rd scale of the lateral line ; the anal commences beneath the origin of the soft dorsal, whose rays are not nearly so long as those of the anal, the third spine is much stronger and but little shorter than the highest dorsal spines; the lower margin of the anal rays is obliquely truncate ; the ventral fin does not extend to the vent; the pectoral fins are rather less than the length of the head ; caudal fin deeply emarginate, with acute lobes. Scales-moderate, finely ctenoid, firmly adherent, those on the cheeks small and deeply imbedded ; streaks of small scales between each pair of the dorsal and anal spines and rays. Interorbital space, snout, orbital ring, mandibular region, and opercular bones (with the exception of a few on the upper edge of the opercle) scaleless. Lateral line-with a long slight curve to beneath the end of the dorsal fin ; its tubes simple. Pseudobranchia-well developed. Gill-rakers-short and stout, numbering 28 on the outer branchial arch. The abdominal portion of the vertebral column is two thirds of tbe length of the caudal portion. Colours-Upper parts dark blue, gradually fading to greyish white on the abdominal region ; some scattered yel'ow spots, about three fourths of a scale in size, on the upper half of the body; these probably disappear with age, since in the larger example they are few in number and faint. Fins blue. Irides brown and yellow. This handsome Girella is known to the fishermen along the coast |
