There is one soft ray less in the dorsal, and three less in the a n al; also the first
spine in this last fin, if it be not broken off in this specimen, is quite rudimentary.
The scales present no trace of cilia on their free edges.
1. PliV G U IPES FASCIATUS. Jbu.
P late Y .
P . corpore /asciis traiisversis duodecim castaneo/nscis, alleruis latioribus ; dentibus
palatinis jyaucis, conicis, suhaggregatis, vix seriem fonnautibus ; pharyngalibus
acideiformibus; memhrami branchiali mediocriter emarginata; operculo spina unica
forti, aiterà superiore obsoleta ; pinnis ventralihus accui'atè thorucicis.
B. 6; D. 7/27; A. 1,24; C. 15, &c. ; P. 18; V. 15.
L o n g . u n c . 12. lin . 9.
F o r m .— Body thickest, as well as deepest, in the region of the pectorals, compressed behind, and
becoming more so as it approaches the tail ; depth also gradually diminishing from that point.
The greatest depth is rather less than five and a h alf times in the entire length : head contained
four times and a quarter in the same. The thickness a t the pectorals is a t least three-fourUis of
the depth : and the thickness of the head is quite equal to it. Dorsal line nearly straight from behind
the eyes, in front of which the profile descends obliquely. Eyes high, nearly reaching to the
line of the profile; a little behind the middle point of the length of the head; their diameter
rather less than one-fifth of this last ; the distance between them one diameter and a half. The
commissure o f the lips does not reach to the eyes by a space equalling half the diameter of the
eye. Jaw s equal. Lips very thick aud fleshy, and partially reflexed, like those of a Lahrus.
Teeth very similar to those of that genus. In the upper jaw , an outer row (extending all round)
of strong, sharp, slightly curved teeth, regularly set, and nearly even, but with the anterior
ones a little the longest ; in all about forty, twenty on each side ; behind these a velutine band,
broadest in front, but also extending the whole way round. In the lower jaw , a row of curved
strong teeth, similar to those above, but extending only h alf way along the sides of the jaws
(about nine on each side), and followed by about seven or eight short blunt conical ones ; a
broad velutine band behind the longer curved teeth, but not behind the others. On the front of
the vomer are four or five large blunt conical teeth, mixed with smaller ones of the same form :
there is also a small group of these little conical teeth a t the commencement of each palatine,
but they are not carried on further in a single row.* Tongue small and inconspicuous, fastened
down except just at the tip, smooth. Piiaryngeal teeth in strong card; but no conical ones
behind that are visible. Branchial membrane united to its fellow, and free all round at the
margin, with a moderately deep notch underneath. Preopercle rounded at the angle; the
ascending margin oblique. Opercle with a strong sharp spine at its upper angle, but not ex-
* As described by Cuvier and Valenciennes to be the case in tlie P . Brasilianus.