Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean ...

—30 COLLECTIONS FROM MELANESIA.S3nignathus trachypoma.D. 21. Osseous rings 18 + 33.Allied to S. grayi. Base of the dorsal fin elevated. The length ofthe snout is two fifths of that of the head, its upper surface is armedwith several spines ; forehead high, abruptl)^ descending towardsthe snout. Eyes large, with broad prominent supraciliaries whichbear several dentieulations ou their edges ; the space between theeyes is very broad and deeply concave. Occiput high, with largetubercles, the middle of which are arranged in a longitudinal crest.Operculum with radiating stria?, the upper and strongest of which isbent upwards. Humerus raised into a high prominence which, likeall the surrounding scutes, is deeply pitted. Body not deeper thanbroad ; edges of the scutes prominent and strongly serrated. Tailnot much longer than the body including the head. Vent belowthe middle of the dorsal fin, which stands on four rings. Caudal finsmall. The prominent portions of the head, the upperside of thebody and tail, and perhaps also the side of the trunk are providedwith lacerated tentacles. No well-defined markings can be distinguished,the coloration consisting of marbling of brown withmother-of-pearl patches. The tentacles are of the same colour asthe body.One specimen was obtained at Thursday Island, two others atPrince of Wales Island. The dimensions of the largest are :Total length50 lines.Length of tail 29 ,,Length of head 7 ,,Length of snout 2| „Doryichthys serialis. (Plate III. fig. B.)D. 21. Osseous rings 14-}- 20.This is a short species with a compressed body and short tail.The ridges are distinct, but slightly spinous on the tail only.Lateral line uninterrupted, passing into the lower ridge of the tail.Snout more than half as long as the head, straight ; eye of moderatesize ; interorbital space narrow. Head half as long as the trunk ;bones of the head pitted and irregularly sculptured. Operculumwith a very distinct straight ridge along its middle. Vent midwaybetween the end of the gill-cover and the root of the caudal, andbehind the middle of the dorsal fin. Dorsal fin standing on six rings,four of which belong to the trunk. Caudal very short. Each sideof the body is ornamented by two series of black dots, one seriesbeing above and the other below the lateral line ; one pair of dotscorresponds to each of the rings. Some other inconstant black dotsare scattered about between the two series ; a black band runsthrough the eye from the upper end of the operculum along eachside of tho snout.