Art. IX.—Description of a New Fish.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 36, 1903, Page 148

Art. IX.—Description of a New Fish. By Captain F. W. Hutton, F.R.S. [Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 4th November, 1903.] Bovichiths rosec-pictus, sp. nov. Head and body slightly compressed. The total length about 5 ¼ times the height of the body and 4 ½ times the length of the head. The top of the head is smooth, with two small ridges, and it descends abruptly in front of the eyes, which are lateral. The diameter of the eye is about equal to the length of the snout, and is more than the interorbital space. Operculum with a long straight spine; the other bones of the head unarmed. Pectoral fins rather pointed, as long as the head, the lower five rays slightly thickened. Ventrals jugular, remote at their bases, pointed, nearly as long as the pectorals, the spine soft. Dorsals separate; the first about half the length of the second; neither of them so high as the body. Anal rather shorter

than the second dorsal. Caudal apparently truncated. No scales. The lateral line well marked, continuous, rather rough. Minute teeth on the jaws and palate. Dark olivaceous-brown on the back, the sides and abdomen silvery, with a pink spot at the base of the operculum and five bright rose-pink bands on each side. D., 8/18(?); A., 13(?). Total length, 46 mm.; of the head, 10 mm.; of the snout, 3 mm Height of the body, 7.5 mm. Diameter of the eye, 3–5 mm.; interorbital space, 3 mm. Length of the base of the first dorsal, 6.5 mm.; of the second, 13 mm.; of the anal, 11 mm. Length of the pectoral, 10 mm.; of the ventral, 9 mm. Picked up on the beach at Sumner and presented to the Museum by Mr. F. C. B. Bishop. As the fish had been partially dried I could not count the fin-rays very accurately, but it is evident from its colours that it is distinct from any previously described species. The type is preserved in the Canterbury Museum.