Contributions to the knowledge of Indo-Australian Fishes

1. ABOUT THE NOMENCLATURE OF THE SPECIES OF FISTULARIA. The species of Fistularia have caused much trouble and misunderstanding as to their proper names. Formerly there were 2 species known, in Günther's Catalogue 2) distinguished as F. tabaccaria L. and F. serrata Cuv. F. tabaccaria is restricted to the tropical Atlantic and easily distinguished by the upper lateral edge of the snout (formed by the prefrontal and metapterygoid) which is nearly smooth, being only slightly crenulated in the adult, and by the blue spots and stripes on the upper parts of head and body. F. serrata Cuv. is immaculate, the upper lateral edge of the snout sharply serrated and its habitat in all tropical seas. In 1880 Günther 3) found, that his F. serrata Cuv. contained two different species, which he separated on the following characters: „Interorbital space concave: the two middle ridges on the upper surface of the snout, run close and parallel to each other along the anterior half of the length of the snout. Body moderately depressed with minute asperities, which render the skin rough to the touch". F. serrata. „Bones of the head less deeply sculptured than in Fistularia serrata, but with the upper lateral edges of the snout likewise serrated. Interorbital space nearly flat. The two middle ridges on the upper surface of the snout are not very close together, and diverge again on the anterior half of the length of the snout, converging finally on the foremost part. Body much depressed, nearly smooth, the asperities of the skin being scarcely perceptible". . . . . . . . . . . . . . F. depressa.