166 ORDER ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



would be rather closely allied to the genus hasmulon 

 were it not that the denticulation of the preoperculum 

 is wanting, and that they have one ray less to their 

 branchiae. The cheek is scaly. Two species are 

 found in the Mediterranean. 



D. vulgaris, Sparus dentex, L., Dent ale of the 

 Italians; Bl. 268. Silvery, shaded with bluish to- 

 wards the back. Sometimes three feet in length \ 



D. macropthalmus, Sp. macroph, Bl. Red, with very 

 large eyes ; much rarer than the preceding, and about 

 half its size. 



We distinguish from the other species of dentex, by 

 the name of Pentapoda, those whose mouth is less 

 cleft, head more scaly, body less elevated, and whose 

 caudal is covered with scales to the end 2 . 



By that of Lethrinus we distinguish such as have 

 no scales upon the cheek ; most of them, as in 

 hsemulon, have some red about the angle of the 

 jaws 3 . 



All these fishes have a pointed scale between the 

 ventrals, and one above each of them. 



A third tribe is also composed of a single genus. 



1 Add D. macrocephalus, Cuv., or Labre macrocephale, Lacep. 

 III. xxvi. 1. Sparus cynodon, Bl. 278. Dentex hexodon, Quoy 

 and Gaym., Voy. Freycin. 301. 



2 Sparus vittatus, Bl. 275. Sj). raye d'or, Lacep. iv. 131., and 

 some new species. 



3 Spar, cheer or hynchus, Bl. Schn. 278. Bod'ian lutjan, Lacep. iv. 

 294. Kurwa, Russell. 89. Scicena mahscna, Forsk. p. 52, No. 62. 

 Scicena harak, id. 



