UNCTUOUS SUCKER. 



373 



closes it like a bag, the fixed points being the lines of the 

 dorsal and anal fins ; the pectoral fins are large, and the 

 lower portions descending the side are attached to additional 

 rays like ventral fins, which extending far forward are situ- 

 ated exterior to the sides of the adhesive disk ; the belly 

 tumid ; the dorsal fin begins much nearer the head than the 

 anal fin, and both end close to the tail ; the caudal rays 

 rather long and narrow. The fin-rays in number are 



D. 36 : P. & V. 32 : A. 26 : C. 12. 



The colour of the body is a pale brown, irregularly striped 

 with lines of a darker colour, which take different directions, 

 and give a variegated appearance to the head, back, and 

 sides ; these lines are confined to the outer thin skin, and 

 do not appear upon the more solid surface underneath ; in 

 this state some authors have called this species lineatus ; but 

 these markings are not constant, and many examples are 

 without any streaks or lines, the edges of the dorsal and anal 

 fins only being edged with a darker colour ; the tail, and 

 sometimes the pectoral fins, slightly barred and spotted. 

 When kept in diluted spirit of wine, the coloured lines and 

 characters of the species may be easily preserved ; but this 

 fish loses both markings and size if allowed to become dry. 



