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I N D I A N F I SHE S .
PISCES THORACICI.
S P A R U S . *
N o . C l .
S p .arus cauda bijida ; pinna dorsi spinis quinque, el radiis septem setaceis longiorihus; corpoie
sub-orhiculato, lineis vittisqiie roséis.
T lie S p a r u s with a forked t a i l ; five spines in the dorsal fin, and seven long filiform r a y s ;
the body nearly orbicular, with rose colour lines and fillets.
Sparus spinijer Forsk. JLo. 23.
Called b y the Natives K o o r o o t a .
B . y . D . i s . P. 15. V . 6 . A. T . C. 18.
T he 6oáy sub-orbicular, compressed; scales compact, tenacious.
The head compressed, front very steep, face striated. The mouth low ; jaws, teeth, tongue, palate, eyes and
nostrils, as usual in this genus. The opercula squamous, and cover the branchial membrane; rendering it
difficult to count the ossicles.
T he trunk. T h e back arched, carinate; the breast and belly less arched; sides compressed; tail roundish.
The lateral line moderately arched to the end of the dorsal fin, then straight to its termination at the upper
part of the caudal fin. The amis middle.
T he fins. The dorsal differs remarkably from that of the usual form. There are first two spiculi in front,
then seven setaceous rays, three of which are nearly the length of the body; to these succeed three spinous and
eleven ramous rays half an inch long. T he pectoral fins long, acuminate in the middle; the ventral shorter,
tlie second ray terminating in a setaceous tail; the anal in shape resembles the hinder portion of the dorsal, but
narrower; the caudal bifid.
The colour. The colour stone white, with pale reddish, curve lines, above the lateral line, and straight fillets
o f the same colour under i t ; tlie belly and throat white; the fins a faint reddish yellow.
The membrane of the dorsal fin remarkably thin and tender.
• For the Generic Character, see Vol. I. p. 71.