bra„cl.te four-lcavcil; the exterior pectinate, the others tuberculate. The opercula squamous; the anterior
lamina serrated, and armed with three short straight spines; the posterior terminates in a spinous point; between
which and the pectoral fin there is a semicircular squama, or ossicle, serrated on the edge. The branchial
membrane exposed; the aperture large, arched.
The tnmk. The back gently arched, carinate, sides compressed, a little convex; the abdomen and throat
gently rounded, the former a little fiatteiied. The lateral line forms a low arch above the pectoral fin, then
slopes gently to the middle of the tail. Anus nearer the tail than the head.
They!»!. The dorsal solitary, composite; the two first spinous rays very short; from the third to the tenth
they gradually shorten, but the tenth and eleventh, lying on the ramous portion, again lengthen; the ramous
rays decline gently ; the pectoral low, short, acnminite at top; the ventral longer than the pectoral, the second
ray longest; the anal has three stout, spinous, assurgent rays; the ramous rays are likewise assurgent, and
decline very little from the fifth. The caudal fin bifid.
The colour. The upper part of the head a darkish green, the rest white; the back also green, but changeable;
the rest of the trunk a very light gray, terminating in white on the belly. On the sides are three fillets
of a dusky yellowish-green, the lowest from the eye continued along the tail; still lower is a yellowish fillet
ending with the anal fin.
The first part of the dorsal fin whitish, with a large semicircular black spot, the posterior part of the fin
yellowish, with two fillets like continuations of those on the body. The pectoral, ventral, and anal fins
yellowish-white; the caudal yellowish, with two oblique streaks, besides the fillet.
The length of the subject described, right inches. It was caught at a little distance from the shore, but
beyond the surf; they are sometimes caught of eleven or twelve inches. Their usual length in the river, where
they swarm, is rarely more than five or six inches.
N o . C X X V I I .
P e r c a cauda rolundata ; spinis dorsalibus undecem; corpore oblongo, maculis Jusc is ; aculéis
tribus planis in operculo posteriore.
T h e P e r c h w ith a ro u n d tall ; a n d e le v e n s p in e s in th e d o rsa l fin ; a n o b lo n g b o d y
sp o tte d w ith y e llow is h s p o t s ; th r e e flat sp in e s in th e h in d e r o p e r c u lum .
Called b y the Natives B o n to o .
II _i_ j _
B . vii. D. 28. P. 18. V. 6. A. 12. C. 17.
T he body oblong, compressed, but thick and roundish. Scales small, close, tenacious.
The bead large, thick, compressed, nearly as broad as the trunk, the vertex a little depressed, the rostrum
short, declivous. The mouth horizontal, wide; the lips thickish. Jaws extractile, the lower a little longer than
the upper. Teeth numerous, in several rows, the exterior larger than the interior, reflex: two longer teeth in
front of each jaw. Tongue narrow, rounded, smooth, free. Palate wide, denticulate. Eyes, supreme, round,
near the rostrum. Nostrils double, round, near the orbit.
The anterior lamina of the opercula serrate, the posterior acuminate, and armed with three stout, flat,
straight, spines. The branchial membrane half exposed when the mouth is shut. The aperture large.
The trunk. The back and belly slightly convex ; the sides and tail compressed, but roundish. The lateral
line very small, high, descends from the point of the opercula, bending a very little over the pectoral fin, and
terminates at the middle of the caudal fin. Anus nearly middle.
The fins. The dorsal single, composite, the spines (the two first excepted) nearly of equal length; the
ramous rays to the ninth assurgent, when the remaining four declining give a rounded form to the fin. The
pectoral and caudal fins orbicular; the ventral long, ramous, with one stout spine; the anal, in shape exactly
like the opposite dorsal, with three spines.
The colour cineritious, spotted with dusky yellow, or brown, round spots; the colour on the belly is lighter;
the spots on the fins smaller and darker.
The lengtb one foot eight inches.
This fish is often brought to table in the winter, and when from one foot to one and a half in length, is
reckoned delicate; but when larger, it becomes coarse. It grows to an enormous size. In the beginning of
January 1786, one was brought to the Chief’s house, measuring from the nose to the point of the caudal fin,
seven feet, and in circumference, near the gills, five feet. It weighed three hundred and odd pounds.
About an inch of the anterior part of each jaw was without teeth; the rest full of short, strong, teeth.
The colour, so far as I could judge by candle light, was browner and the spots more obscure, than in the
small fish; and the teeth of the serrated opercula were hardly discernible. The three spines very stout and
large.
The Dutch name Jacob Evertsen has certainly been applied to several spotted Indian fishes. Ruysch gives
no less than eleven figures, none of which agree with the present subject.
In Seba,* a figure under that name is found; and another in Bloch,f under the name Bodianus Guttatus. In
both the spines on the opercula are clearly depicted, as well as the rounded tail; and Gronovius in his description
concurs with them, though in other respects]; differing from both.
In the Perca Guttata of Linneus reference is made to Marcgrave,§ Sloan,|| and Catesby;^ but in the figures
given by these authors there are no spines in the opercula, and in all the caudal fin is entire, or square. The
same remark is applicable to the several figures found in Valentine** and Renard. f f
The present fish therefore is not the Perca Guttata of Linneus, the Gugupuguacu of the Brasils, the Jacob
Evertsen of the Dutch and of Willoughby, nor does it agree to any of the figures in Valentine or Renard,
though so common in India.
The Perka Tauviiia of Forskal];]; approaches very near to tbe present fish and the one that follows.
Marcgrave’s description of the Gugupuguacu, the shape of the tail excepted, agreed so nearly to that of the
present Bontu, that on meeting with a subject of the enormous size mentioned above, I was inclined to think it
the Gugupuguacu.
T he Bodianus Guttatus depicted by Bloch was received from Tranquebar under the native name Ganimin,
and on showing my drawing to the fishermen at Madras, the name they gave it, sounded to my ear Panamin;
so that I have no doubt of their being the same fish : but the name received from the Missionary atTranquebar,
who understood the language, is more likely to be correct than what I wrote down by ear only, at Madras.
• Tub. 27.
Carolili. lab. 14.
t PI. 224.
•* No. 37. 4«-
i S .N . p.485. $ Brasil, p. 169. (j Sloan. Jamiic. T . 2. t.ib. 247.
+t No. 17. I lf . 207. Tom. ii. No. 36. 300. XX '80- 38-