160 



ESOC'ID/E. 



ventral fins long, and almost rounded at the end ; the dorsal 

 and anal fins are falcate, beginning and ending nearly on the 

 same plane ; the tail consists of two unequally sized lobes, of 

 which the lower lobe is the larger. The fin ray formula, ac- 

 cording to Bloch, is 



B. 10 : U. 11 : P. 18 : V. 6 : A. 12 : C. 22. 



According to M. Risso, the female is heavy with roe in 

 the spring, and is remarkable for the variations that occur in 

 the number of the rays of her fins. 



