Volume I Part 42 (1/2)

Cristiceps axillaris RICHARDSON

CH SPEC C pinnis intaena pone oculuenteo-punctata

RADII B6; D 3 : --28 : 7; A 2 : 25; C 11; P 11; V1 : 2

FISHES PLATE 1 Figures 1, 2, 3

This singularly delicate and clear-looking fish has, after long immersion in spirits, a pale flesh colour, with transparent and spotless fins A bright silvery streak descends frole of the preorbitar to the corner of the mouth, where it dilates a little A speck of the same colour exists within the upper limb of the preoperculue oblong one The little tubes for the lateral line are also silvery It is with much doubt that I name this species as distinct from the C australis of the Histoire des Poissons, but there some points in M Valenciennes' description of that fish which I cannot reconcile with the specimen now under consideration

And first, with respect to scales, M Valenciennes states that he could detect none in australis, but in axillaris there arerather wide of each other, each having central u from it to the circumference These scales are not easily seen while the skin continues moist, but become apparent as it dries, and are most numerous towards the tail The head of axillaris is scaleless, and a row of pores runs along the lower jaw, up the preoperculuroove The eye is also encircled by sih the delicate skin as in australis, and the teeth on the jaws and vo the speciure of australis in the Histoire des Poissons, the second dorsal does not appear undulated as in the latter, but the spinous rays increase gradually in height froher; the distance also between the ventrals and anus is considerably less in proportion to the length of the head, which is contained four tiht of the body is contained five tith of specie's Sound (Benj Bynoe, Esquire Surgeon of the Beagle)

Since the above notice was drawn up I have exa, which was sent froeons This does not clear up the doubt respecting the identity of australis and cristiceps It has coreenish bands of australis, nor the silvery marks of axillaris, it has, however, the form of the fins of the latter, with the number of rays exactly as in australis, a space between the ventrals and anus equal to the length of the head, scales on the body, as in axillaris, and similar pores on the head Better materials are required to enable us to decide whether axillaris be a nominal species or not

Scorpaena stokesii RICHARDSON

RADII D 12 : 9; A 3 : 5; C 13 6/6; P 17; V 1 : 5

FISHES PLATE 2 Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, natural size

The Scorpaenae have so strong a generic rese themselves that it is difficult to detect the distinctive characters of the species, especially as the colours of the recent fish speedily fade when ule example of the subject of this article, which is nale

The species bears a near resemblance to the Scorpaenano spinous point teres, and in the distribution of the scales on the cheek and gill cover The spinous points on the head approach very near to those of bufo and porcus The inferior preorbitar tooth is acutely spinous, and points directly doards; the two anterior ones are inconspicuous, and not very acute, and the smaller upper posterior one observed in most Scorpaenae is obsolete, or, at least, couments The nasal spines are, as usual, small, simple, and acute The three supra orbitar teeth are smaller than in militaris, and the ues between the orbits do not end in spinous points The lateral ridges continued froes which are parallel to them, but run farther back, contain each four teeth The infra-orbitar ridge is slightly uneven anteriorly, and two reclining teeth may be made out at its posterior end The preoperculument of a circle, and has a short spine, with a smaller one on its base, opposite to the abute Beneath this spine there are four angular points on the edge of the bone The opercular spines are as usual two in nues, with a curved notch in the edges of the bone between them The coracoid bone is notched above the pectoral fin, the notch being terminated below by a spine, and above by an acute corner There are no scales between the cranial ridges on the top of the head, nor in the concave inter-orbital space A single row of five or six scales traverses the cheek below the infra-orbitar ridge The temples before the upper liill flap above the upper opercular ridge The acute membranous lobe which fills the notch between the two opercular spines is likewise scaly, and there are a few scales about the origin of the ridges, but the space between the ridges, the sub-operculum, and the inter-operculued superciliary cirrhus, and some slender filaure, also lax skinny tips on the inferior points of the preorbitar and preoperculum, but the condition of the speci properly made out if such actually existed In the axilla of the pectoral there are four or five pale round spots The figure, which is of the natural size, represents themaceration in weak spirit If there be a black mark in the first dorsal, as in the th, 24 inches

HABITAT The coasts of Australia

Smaris porosus RICHARDSON

CH SPEC Smaris rostro porosissimo; fascia obscura e rostro per oculum recte ad caudam tracta; fascia altera in summo dorso

RADII B 6; D 10 : 9; A 3 : 7; C 15 5/5; V 1 : 5

FISHES PLATE 3

This Smaris has fewer dorsal rays than any species described in the Histoire des Poissons, and a shorter body than the Mediterranean vulgaris Its shape is fusiforht, which is at the ventrals, and which exceeds twice the thickness, being contained exactly four tith, caudal included The thickness at the gill cover is greater than that of the body, which lessens very gradually to the end of the tail The snout is transversely obtuse, but is rather acute in profile A cross section of the body at the ventrals is ovate, approaching to an oval, the obtuse end being upwards In profile the curve of the belly is rather greater than that of the back, and the face slopes doards to the ht line

The head forth The eye is large, and approaches near the profile without trenching on it The mouth is scarcely cleft so far back as the nostrils The intermaxillaries are moderately protractile, and curve a little doards

The teeth are disposed on the jaws in rather broad villifor setaceous and erect They become a little taller nearer the outside, and the outer terminal cross row, composed of three on each side of the symphysis, may be termed small canines On the lower jaw the villiform teeth in front are more uniformly small, and there is an acute row of subulate teeth, which are tallest in the middle of the limbs of the jaw, beyond which, towards the corners of the mouth, there is an even row of very small teeth At the end of the jaw there is a small canine on each side exterior to all the others