235 



SPANISH BREAM. 



Axillary Bream, Yarrell: Br. Pishes, vol. i., p. 12:2. 



Pagcllus Owenii, Gunther's Catalogue of the Br. Museum, 



vol. i., p. 478. 



This is one of the fishes on the synonymes of which doubt is 

 thrown by Dr. Gunther, as quoted above; and on which there- 

 fore, in conformity with a rule already laid down, we must be 

 contented to make our remarks without reference to other authors; 

 but it is the best known to Cornish fishermen of all the species 

 of Sea Breams that wander to our shores only on unusual occa- 

 sions; and with them it bears the name of Spanish Bream; that 

 name not being applied, as Mr. Yarrell seems to have understood, 

 to the Erythrinus, which was the subject of our last article; 

 unless indeed it may have so happened by their confounding 

 one with the other. 



We only meet with single examples of this fish; which are 

 usually caught with a common baited hook among other Sea 

 Breams, in the summer and autumn. As, however, this fish 

 bears some near resemblance to the fish next to be described, 

 a close description will be best made by a comparison of one 

 with the other. 



The weight scarcely exceeds two thirds of that of the Common 

 Bream; the body rather more slender, head flatter on the top, 

 eye smaller and more oval. Before the eye the snout more 

 protruded, gape wider; the grinding teeth broader and more 

 blunt. Scarcely a depression before the eyes to I'eceive the 

 nasal orifices; while in the common species they are conspicuous. 

 Dorsal fin more elevated, the anal wider. The pectoral fin 

 reaches opposite the vent, but in the Common Bream to the 

 third ray of the anal fin. As we only meet with it in its full 

 VOL. I. 2 L 



