CLASS PISCES. 137 



Peristedion, Lacep. 



Have been separated from trigla with still more reason. 

 Their whole body is covered with large hexagonal 

 scales, which form longitudinal crests ; the muzzle is 

 divided into two points, and carries under it some 

 branched barbels. Their mouth has no teeth. 



Only one species is well known, which belongs to 

 the Mediterranean, Tr. catapkracta, Lin,, Rondel, 299. 

 Red, about a foot long. Block's figure of it, 349, is 

 faulty, and gives too many rays to the second dorsal 

 fin. There are in India many other species. 



The best warranted of these separations is 



Dactyloptera, Lac. 



So much celebrated under the name of flying fish ; 

 the rays under their pectorals are much more nu- 

 merous and larger, and instead of being free, as in 

 the preceding genera, they are united by a membrane 

 into a supernumerary fin, larger than the fish itself, 

 and which supports them in the air for some length 

 of time ; hence they are seen flying above the water 

 to escape the bonitoes and other voracious fish, but 

 they fall in at the end of a few seconds. 



Their muzzle, which is very short, appears to be 

 cleft like the lip of a hare ; their mouth is situated 

 underneath ; there are only in the jaws certain rounded 

 teeth arranged like pavement: their skull is flat, rect- 

 angular, and granulated ; the preoperculum is ter- 



