GEMMEOUS DRAGONET. 



301 



commences under the third ray of the second dorsal fin ; the 

 last anal fin-ray is as long' again as the preceding ray, and 

 reaches to the end of the fleshy portion of the tail. The 

 caudal rays are elongated, articulated, and branched. 



The body of the fish is much narrower than the head, and 

 rounded in form : it is nearly cylindrical, but tapers gradu- 

 ally to the tail. The lateral line is a well-marked elevated 

 ridge. 



The prevailing colour of the body is yellow, of various 

 shades in different parts, striped and spotted on the head 

 and sides with sapphirine ; the irides orange, pupils blue. 

 The membranes of the dorsal fins pale brown, varied with 

 darker longitudinal bands ; the ventral, anal, and caudal fins, 

 bluish black ; under surface of the head and body white, 

 with a dark patch exterior to the root of the tongue. 



The Prince of Musignano, in his Fauna Italica, has 

 figured the female of the same colour as the male, but with- 

 out the elongation of the fin-rays. 



