APPENDIX 2.
DESCRIPTIONS OF SIX FISH
TAKEN BY THE OFFICERS OF THE BEAGLE ON THE COASTS OF AUSTRALIA,
BY SIR JOHN RICHARDSON, M.D. F.R.S., ETC.
INSPECTOR OF NAVAL HOSPITALS.
Balistes phaleratus. RICHARDSON.
CH. SPEC. B. cauda tot aculeolis quot squamis armata; gena tota squamulis stipatis aspera, nec lines laevibus decursa; squamis majoribus rotuntdatis post aperturam branchiorum; fascia frontali et mtacula caudae nigris: fascia nigra laterali ab oculo ad caudam extensa, cumque pari suo ter trans dorsum conjugata.
RADII. D. 3-1 : 25; A. 1 : 23; C. 12; P. 14.
FISHES. PLATE 1. Figures 4, 5.
FISHES. PLATE 1. FIGURES 4, 5.
Balistes phaleratus.
Drawn on Stone by W. Mitchell. Hullmandel & Walton Lithographers.
Profile oval, with a somewhat convex nape, and the face descending in a very slightly concave line. The mouth is on a level with the middle height of the body, and forms the obtuse end of the oval. The white teeth have their points ranged evenly, the eye is high up but does not touch the profile, and the two contiguous openings of the nostrils are immediately before it. The gill opening inclines obliquely forward as it descends, touches the middle line of height at its lower end, and its length is equal to a fifth of the altitude of the body. The scales anterior to the pectorals and gill openings are closer and finer than on the hinder parts of the fish. On the body each scale is roughened by vertical rows of blunt points, which become more acute towards the hinder part of the flanks, and on the tail one of the points of each scale rises into a minute spine curved towards the caudal fin. In the narrowest part of the tail there are not above three or four of these spines in a vertical row, but there are ten or more between the posterior parts of the dorsal and anal. Immediately behind the gill openings there are three roundish scales larger than the others. The scales of the cheeks are studded with points, which are more minute and rounded than the others, and there are no smooth intervening lines, such as exist on the cheeks of some other species. The dorsal spine is rather short, thickish, and not acute. It is strongly roughened by five or six rows of short bluntish and truncated teeth. The soft dorsal and anal commence with a simple flexible ray which is not jointed. The other rays have each from four to six rough points near their bases. The rays of the caudal are alternate. The ventral spine is short and blunt, and is armed with short divaricated teeth, some of which are forked. The roughness runs forward on the chine or ventral line, until it passes gradually into the ordinary scales of the head. The dewlap is very slightly extensible, and but little developed. It is supported by six thread-like rays, which are all divided to the base.
A black band crosses the forehead from eye to eye. The upper half of the eye is bordered with black. The first dorsal exclusive of its last ray is of the same hue; a black band descends from it, and two from the second dorsal, which meet in a stripe that extends from the eye to the tail, the whole bearing some resemblance to the traces of a coach-horse. There is also a black mark on the upper surface of the tail, and a minute brownish speck on each scale, which specks form very faint rows on the cheeks and belly. The ground tint is pale or whitish, with some duskiness on the face, as if it had been coloured when recent. Length, 2 1/4 inches. Height of body, 1 1/8 inch.
HABITAT. The western coasts of Australia.
Cristiceps axillaris. RICHARDSON.
CH. SPEC. C. pinnis intaminatis; macula argentata post os maxillare, altera in summa gena pone oculum et tertia majori in axilla pectorali; linea laterali argenteo-punctata.
RADII. B.6; D. 3 : --28 : 7; A. 2 : 25; C. 11; P. 11; V.1 : 2.
FISHES. PLATE 1. Figures 1, 2, 3.
FISHES. PLATE 1. FIGURES 1, 2, 3.
Cristiceps axillaris.
Drawn on Stone by W. Mitchell. Hullmandel & Walton Lithographers.
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 from the angle 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 preoperculum, and immediately behind the pectoral fin there is a large oblong one. The little tubes forming 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 are minute round scales, lying rather wide of each other, each having central umbo and lines radiating 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 preoperculum, and along the temporal groove. The eye is also encircled by similar pores. The muscular fibres shine through the delicate skin as in australis, and the teeth on the jaws and vomer appear to be similar. On comparing the specimen of axillaris with the figure 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 from the first, and the anterior dorsal is proportionally higher; the distance also between the ventrals and anus is considerably less in proportion to the length of the head, which is contained four times and a half in the total length of the fish, while the height of the body is contained five times. The proportions of australis are stated differently. Length of specimen, 3.42 inches.
HABITAT. King George's Sound (Benj. Bynoe, Esquire Surgeon of the Beagle).
Since the above notice was drawn up I have examined a cristiceps upwards of six inches long, which was sent from Botany Bay by Sir Everard Home to the College of Surgeons. This does not clear up the doubt respecting the identity of australis and cristiceps. It has completely lost its colours, and shows neither the greenish 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.
FISHES. PLATE 2. FIGURES 6, 7, 8, 9. Natural size.
Scorpaena stokesii.
Drawn on Stone by W. Mitchell. Hullmandel & Walton Lithographers.
The Scorpaenae have so strong a generic resemblance among themselves that it is difficult to detect the distinctive characters of the species, especially as the colours of the recent fish speedily fade when macerated in spirits, or when the mucous integument decays or is injured. We have received but a single example of the subject of this article, which is named in honour of the able commander of the Beagle.
The species bears a near resemblance to the Scorpaena militaris, but differs from it in having no spinous point terminating the intra orbitar ridges, 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 downwards; 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, completely hidden by the integuments. The nasal spines are, as usual, small, simple, and acute. The three supra orbitar teeth are smaller than in militaris, and the middle one reclines so as to be concealed by the integument instead of standing boldly up. The two low ridges between the orbits do not end in spinous points. The lateral ridges continued from the orbits over the supra scapulars, and the temporal ridges 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 preoperculum is curved in the segment of a circle, and has a short spine, with a smaller one on its base, opposite to the abutment of the infra-orbitar ridge. Beneath this spine there are four angular points on the edge of the bone. The opercular spines are as usual two in number, being the tips of two low even divergent ridges, 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 limb of the preoperculum are densely scaly, as is also the gill 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-operculum, are naked.
There is a short fringed superciliary cirrhus, and some slender filaments from other parts of the head, as shown in the figure, also lax skinny tips on the inferior points of the preorbitar and preoperculum, but the condition of the specimen does not admit of other cirrhi being 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 the markings which remain after long maceration in weak spirit. If there be a black mark in the first dorsal, as in the militaris, it is effaced in our specimen. Length, 2.4 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.
FISHES. PLATE 3.
Smaris porosus.
Drawn on Stone by W. Mitchell. Hullmandel & Walton Lithographers.
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 fusiform, the greatest height, which is at the ventrals, and which exceeds twice the thickness, being contained exactly four times in the total length, 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 downwards to the mouth, nearly in a straight line.
The head forms rather less than a quarter of the whole length. 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 downwards.
The teeth are disposed on the jaws in rather broad villiform bands, the individual teeth being 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.
The fore edge of the preorbitar is slightly curved in form of the italic f, the lower corner curving forward abruptly, so as to produce a notch, which is filled up by the extremity of the retracted maxillary. The whole end of the snout, back to the eyes, including the disk of the preorbitar, is minutely porous, and a row of large pores borders the upper half of the orbit.
The jaws, the uneven lobate disk of the preoperculum and the branchiostegous membrane are naked, the rest of them being scaly. The scales of the cheek are disposed in six concentric curves, the same arrangement extending to the gill-cover, but less conspicuously. A small flat spinous point projects beyond the scales of the operculum, which has a very narrow membranous edging. The scales are ciliated. The caudal is slightly notched at the end, its basal half is scaly, as is also the base of the pectorals; the rest of the fins are scaleless. The dorsal is nearly even, its height being, however, rather greatest at the fourth or fifth spine. Its end is rounded.
A dark stripe, commencing at the top of the snout, runs through the eye straight to the tail, and a fainter one occupies the summit of the back to the end of the dorsal. The curve of the lateral line rises above the lower stripe anteriorly, but coincides with it beyond the posterior end of the dorsal. The rest of the fish is silvery, and the fins are not marked. These colours are described from a specimen preserved in spirits. Length, 5 inches.
HABITAT. King George's Sound. (Bynoe).
Chelmon marginalis. RICHARDSON.
Chelmon marginalis, Richardson, Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist. 10, page 28, September 1842.
RADII. D.9 : 31; A. 3-2l; C. 17 3/3; P. 16; V. 1 : 5.
FISHES. PLATE 4.
FISHES. PLATE 4.
Chelmon marginalis.
Drawn on Stone by W. Mitchell. Hullmandel & Walton Lithographers.
This fish is described in the Annals of Natural History from a dried specimen brought from Port Essington by Mr. Gilbert. It has very much the form of Chelmon rostratus, but wants the eye-like spot on the dorsal. Several examples in spirits were brought by the officers of the Beagle from the north-west coast of Australia, all of which show a broad band passing between the dorsal and anal fins, which was not visible in the dried specimen. This band is bounded anteriorly by one, and posteriorly by two whitish lines. In the Annals the anal fin is described as being more angular than the dorsal, but in the specimens in spirits the reverse appears to be the case. This variation depends on the degree or expansion of the fins, and both may be much rounded by pulling the rays apart. The exact distribution of the bands may be clearly made out from the figure, which is very correct. The rays of the fins probably vary in number in different individuals, and our careful enumeration of those specimens kept in spirits, as recorded above, gives two or three soft rays more in the dorsal and anal, than we were able to detect in the dried skin. Length, 5 1/4 inches.
HABITAT. Northern and north-western coasts of Australia.
ASSICULUS.
CH. GEN. Corpus compressissimum, assulaeforme: caput crassius, minus altum, declive. Os parvum. Maxilla inferior porifera, ore clauso ascendens, hinc, ore hiante, ultra maxillam speriorem modice protractam extensa.
Preoperculum margine integro nec spinifero, disco arcto, inaequali, esquamoso, genam squamosam postice et infra cingens. Operculum tridentatum: Suboperculum crenatum; utrumque et interoperculum latiusculum squamis satis magnis tecta. Dentes villiformes, minuti cum dente canino in media utroque latere maxillae inferioris et trans apicem utriusque maxillae dentibus quatuor (vel sex) fortioribus, altioribus, in serie exteriori ordinatis. Dentes vomeris et palati acuti, stipati minuti. Dentes pharyngei, acerosi inequales, acuti.
Membrana branchialis radiis sex sustentata, interoperculis liberis, accumbentibus tecta.
Squamae satis magnae, nitidae ciliatae. Linea lateralis antice abrupte ascendens, dein dorso parallela et approximata, postice diffracta infraque per mediam caudam cursum resumens.
Pinnae magnae esquamosae. Pinna dorsi anique radiis tribus, spinosis, ceteris articulatis. Pinnae ventrales sub pectorales offixae, propter tenuitatem ventris invicem approximatae.
The strong resemblance which the subject of this article bears to the Pseudochromis olivaceus of Dr. Ruppell (Neue Worlbethiere, page 8, taf. 2, figure 3) induced me at first sight to refer it to the same genus, but on examination I found that very material alterations would require to be made in the generic characters assigned to Pseudochromis,* to enable them to apply to our fish.
(*Footnote. M. Swainson, considering this name as very objectionable, has proposed Labristoma instead. Both names are founded on the resemblance which the fish bears to another genus, in whole or in part, and the objection which has been made to the one is equally valid against the other.)
The above character has therefore been drawn up, and ichthyologists may consider Assiculus, either as a proper generic form, or as merely a subgenus or subdivision of Pseudochromis, with an extended character, according to their different views of arrangement. The last named genus, as described and restricted by Dr. Ruppell, from whom all our knowledge of it is derived, has the jaw teeth disposed in a single row, and the minute palatine teeth of a sphaeroidal form. The operculum has its angle prolonged, and is not toothed, nor is the suboperculum crenated; and a considerable number of the rays of the dorsal fin, succeeding to the three spinous ones, are simple but flexible, the posterior ones only being articulated and divided in the usual manner. Linnaeus has briefly characterized two fish (Labrus ferrugineus, Bl. Schn. page 251, and Labrus marginalis, Id. page 263) which most probably belong, either to Pseudochromis or Assiculus, and which are to be placed, M. Valenciennes thinks, near Malacanthus, among the Labridae. Now, this family, according to M. Agassiz, is essentially cycloid in the structure of its scales, although there is a slight departure from the rigid characters of the order in the serrated preopercular of Crenilabrus, Ctenolabrus, and some others, and in the spine bearing operculum of Malacanthus. The latter genus is, moreover, described by M. Agassiz as possessing scales with toothed edges, and rough to the touch when the finger is drawn forwards. It has the simple intestinal canal without caeca, which is proper to the Labridae. The intestine of Pseudochromis is similarly formed, the stomach being continuous with the rest of the alimentary canal, and not distinguished by any cul de sac. Having but one specimen of Assiculus for examination, I have not been able to submit it to dissection to see whether the structure of its intestines be the same or not, but both it and Pseudochromis differ very widely from the labroid type in their scales, possessing the peculiar firm, shining, strongly ciliated structure, which we observe in Glyphisodon and its allies, and in the lateral line being interrupted in a precisely similar manner. Chromis and Plesiops have already been removed by M. Valenciennes from the Labridae to the Glyphisodontidae, and it is with them that we feel inclined to range Assiculus and Pseudochromis, notwithstanding the discrepancies in the form of the intestinal canal. We can, however, trace a gradation in the variation of form. The normal number of caeca in the Glyphysodontidae is three. In Chromis there are generally two small ones, while the Bolti of the Nile, or the Chromis niloticus of Cuvier, has no pyloric caecum, but a large cul de sac to the stomach. Malacanthus is widely separated from the Glyphisodontidae by its continuous lateral line. Since these remarks were written I have seen Muller's paper, entitled, Beitrage zur Kentniss der naturlichen Familien der Fische, in which the Chromidae are indicated as a distinct family from the Glyphisodontidae, which latter he names Labroidei stenoidei; and Pseudochromis, it is stated, belongs to neither of these families, because it has twofold pharyngeals with a division between them. Dr. Muller promises a separate article on Pseudochromis, which I have not yet seen.
Assiculus punctatus.
RADII. BR. 6; D. 3 : 23; A. 3 : 12; C. 21; P. 18: V. 1, 5.
FISHES. PLATE 2. Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
FISHES. PLATE 2. FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Assiculus punctatus.
Drawn on Stone by W. Mitchell. Hullmandel & Walton Lithographers.
This fish is as thin in the body as a lath, whence the generic name. Its greatest width is at the cheek, as shown by the section figure 3, where the transverse diameter is about half the height. Figure 4 shows the section at the gill cover, and third dorsal spine, where the thickness is less; and figure 5, represents a section behind the ventrals, where the thickness is little more than a tithe of the height, and it gradually decreases to the caudal fin. The oblong profile is highest at the third dorsal spine, whence it descends with a slightly convex curve to the mouth, which is low down--the under jaw when extended, being nearly on a line with the belly. The height of the tail between the vertical fins is equal to half the greatest height of the body. The dorsal and ventral lines are both acute, especially the former, and the medial line of the nape continues acute to the orbits.
The length of the head, measured from the upper jaw, is contained four times and a half in the total length of the fish. The large round eye, situated near the upper profile, fills more than a quarter of this length. The orbit is surrounded by a ring of muciferous canals, with open orifices, which are the only exterior vestiges of the suborbitar chain. The small mouth descends obliquely and scarcely reaches back to the orbit. The intermaxillaries are moderately protractile, but the lower jaw, when depressed, projects still further forward. The maxillary widens towards its lower end, which curves a little forwards. Three pores exist on each limb of the lower jaw.
The teeth of the upper jaw present a fine, but rather uneven and broad cardiform surface at the symphysis, which narrows to a single row towards the corner of the mouth, where they are a little longer and more subulate. Four canine teeth stand across the end of the jaw anterior to the dental plate, the intermediate ones being shorter than the outer ones. The dentition of the under jaw differs in the dental band being narrower, and in there being a conspicuous canine in the middle of each limb of the jaw. There are also six canines standing across the extreme tips of the jaw, opposed to the upper ones. Most of the teeth are slightly curved backwards. The chevron of the vomer projects from the roof of the mouth, and its surface is armed by minute teeth in about three or four densely crowded rows. The palatine teeth are still more minute, and the band is four or five deep. The teeth, when examined with a lens, appear to be very acute and in nowise spherical. The pharyngeal teeth are subulate and acute, and of unequal heights. There seems to be only one inferior pharyngeal bone below; but without dissection this could not be clearly made out. The outer branchial rakers are long.
The narrow, slightly pitted, scaleless disk of the preoperculum bounds the scaly cheek behind and below, and has an entire edge with neither spine nor acute angle at the bend. The other pieces of the gill cover are closely covered with scales, only a little smaller than those of the body. The pretty wide thin inter-operculum lays freely over the gill membranes, and covers them when shut up. The sub-operculum is minutely crenulated on the edge, and has a small sub-membranous tip, which projects a little beyond the three opercular teeth. A small curved notch marks the separation between the interoperculum and sub-operculum.
The scales extend on the crown of the head to the middle of the orbits. The snout, lips, jaws, the place at the corner of the mouth over which the maxillary glides and the gill membrane are scaleless. The scales of the body are very regularly disposed, showing rhomboidal disks when in situ, with strongly ciliated edges. The lateral line ascends at its commencement and bends rather suddenly under the first soft dorsal ray to run near and parallel to the ridge of the back. It terminates beneath the sixth ray from the end of the fin, but recommences on the fourth scale beneath, and runs in the middle height of the tail to the base of the caudal. Two or three of the scales before its recommencement, have a minute pit in the middle of their disks, as is not unusual with the Glyphisodons. The first part of the lateral line forms an almost continuous tubular ridge traced on thirty-eight scales of the second row from the summit of the back; the posterior part traverses six or seven scales. There are twelve or thirteen scales in a vertical row on the side of the body.
The anus, situated a short way before the anal fin, has a very small aperture.
There are no scales on the fin membranes. The three dorsal spines are short, graduated, moderately stout, and pungent. The twenty-three soft rays are all distinctly articulated, and more or less branched. The last ray is divided to the base, and is graduated with the two preceding ones, giving a rounded form to the posterior tip of the fin. The specimen had the anterior part of the fin frayed a little, so that it is probable that the soft rays are higher and less distinctly branched than the artist has represented them to be in copying the example placed before him. The ventrals are in a line with the tip of the gill cover and first soft dorsal ray, and from the extreme narrowness of the pelvis are close to each other. They are tapering, pointed, and overlap the beginning of the anal, which, though it have fewer rays than the dorsal, is similar in structure. The pectoral and caudal are much rounded, especially the latter. There is a greater space between the anal and caudal than between the dorsal and the same fin. In the caudal there are twenty rays, including two very short ones above, and the same number below.
The general colour of the specimen, which has been long in spirits, is shining yellowish-brown with several round dots of azure-blue scattered over the body. The cheek is crossed obliquely by a row of three spots. The figure errs in representing the spots as dispersed over the cheek; they are in fact ranged in a row. Length, 2 1/2 inches.
HABITAT. Coast of Australia.
Haslar Hospital, 28th October, 1845.