■„
The lateral line benda gently, not parallel »ith the arch of the back, and terminates not exactly in the middle
of the caudal fin. Anus remote.
T h e > ! , The dorsal spines in a groove; the posterior portion of that fin and the anal, as well as the
pectoral and ventral fins, acuminate above; the caudal bifid. The first anal spine very small, the third
remarkably strong.
The colour. The head and back of a deep red, the sides striped longitudinally with wiiite, red. and pear!
fillets. The fins light gray, tipped with red.
The length, including tlie caudal fin, seven inches.
N o . C V .
S p ard s capile acnkato, oculis permagnis : corpore ohlongo, lato, compresso, squamis largis, aspens,
str ialis et pectinatis ; rad ii octo in pinna ven trali; spinis analibus quatuor ; cauda bijida,
spiculis quatuor ad latera, supra sublerque.
T h e S parus w i th a p r i c k ly h e ad , an d v e r y la rg e e y e s ; an o b lo n g , b ro ad , com p res sed b o d y ,
c o v e re d w i th la r g e , r o u g h , s tria ted , pe c tin a ted s c a le s ; e ig h t r a y s in th e v e n t r a l fin ,
fo u r an a l sp in e s . T h e ta il b i f id , an d on e a ch ed g e , a b o v e an d b e low , are fo n t re f le x
s p ic u li.
C a lled b y th e N a t iv e s B o t c h e .
B . v iii. D .Û . P. 15. V. ? . A. To. C. 2 1 .
T h i s sp e cie s is p a rtic u la rly d is t in g u ish e d b y th e sp in o u s h e a d a n d s c a le s ; la rg e e y e s , e ig h t r a y s in th e v e n tr a l
fin ; a n d sp in e s o n th e e d g e s o f th e ta il.
The body oblong, remarkably broad at the shoulders, compressed, covered with large, strong, bony scales,
striate, pectinate, imbricate, tenacious.
The k a d large, compressed ; the front short, the crown rough, channeled ; the orbit half surrounded with a
double row of short spiculi, and the scales, as on the trunk, semte. The mouth very wide; no lips ; the jaws
long, bare, striate on the outside, the upper longest, emarginate. Teeth in several rows, small, orbicular, rough.
Tongue short, ovate, rough, bridled. The palate wide, rough on the fore part. Eyes supreme, extremely large,
orbicular. Nostrils large, oblong.
The opercula serrate, and a flat spine on the edge of the posterior lamina. The brancliial membrane mucli
exposed ; it has eight ossiculi, of which the two inferior are small and rough ; the aperture wide.
The trunk. The back a little round, but convex, towards the tail carinate; the breast and belly prominent;
the sides compressed, yet roundish -. the shoulders broad, and the body contracts but little till near the anal fin,
where it diminishes abruptly. The branchiæ consist of four laminæ, the two exterior pectinate, the interior
denticulate. The lateral line high, almost straight. Anus remote.
T he Jins. The dorsal spines in a groove, the hinder portion of the fin acuminate in the middle; the pectoral
low, short, acuminate above ; the ventral as long as the pectoral, and remarkable for having eiglit rays; the anal
resembles the opposite dorsal; the caudal fin bifid, with spiculi at the edges.
The colour. The head red ; the membranous margin of the posterior lamina of the operculum the colour of
black, coagulated blood; the breast and belly a yellowish red, mixed with white; the scales on the trunk,
whitish, witli red edges. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, of the same colour with the head, but edged with
white, and tipped black; the pectoral and ventral, pale pink.
Inches, Lines.
Length from the rostrum to the caudal fin - - - - - 8 o
caudal fin - - - - - - - - - - 2 0
Greatest breadth .......................... g g
N o . C V I .
S p a r u s cauda bijida; spinis dorsalibus decem; lamina aculeata, serrata, inJra orbilem; operculis
serratis.
T h e S p a r u s with a forked t a il; ten dorsal sp in e s ; the opercula se rra ted ; and a serrated
lamina armed with a spine u nder the orbit.
Called b y the Natives K u r it e .
JÍ. V. D . 2T. P. 1 6. V. ? . A. r i . C. 1 8.
T h e body ovate, compressed; the back arched, the breast and belly convex; the tail narrow.
The bead declivous, compressed, squamous. Mouth small; lips rather thick; teeth numerous, very small,
close. Eyes very large, oval. Nostrils oval. Under each orbit a squamous lamina armed above with a flat
curve spine, the lower edge serrated; two lamelite at the rise of the lateral line, the upper semicircular, which
as well as the anterior lamina of the operculum were likewise serrated.
The lateral line high, arched, parallel to the back, conspicuous, but not carinate. The anus remote.
The colour. T he head and back a darkish red, with an intermixture of yellowisli green; tlie breast light
coloured; the belly white with a slight yellow cast; the fins of a golden yellow.
The length of the subject eigiit inches.
REMARKS.
The two fish immediately preceding the subject just described, (No. CIV. and C V.) belong indisputably to
the genus Holocentrus of Artedi; the eiglit ventral rays, and the spiculi on each edge of the caudal fin,
sufficiently denote them. Tiiough these characters are wanting in the present subject, there are others besides
the big eye, which seemingly indicate an affinity.
It may be further remarked, that of the Holocentri described by Bloch, the first excepted, none have caudal
spiculi, nor eight ventral ray s: and the first only has eight branchial ossicles.