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quainted with it before, has partly confounded it with the 

 common species, for that which he relates after Paulus Jovius 

 concerning the mode in which the Illyrians preserve it, can 

 be applicable only to dentex vulgaris. 



Risso says it always continues smaller than the true 

 dentex, and attains a length not exceeding eighteen inches, 

 and a weight of not more than two pounds ; but Belon tells 

 us that there are some of six pounds weight, and that he has 

 never seen any very small. These statements might induce 

 us to believe that this species propagates chiefly on the Bar- 

 bary, and not on the European coast. 



The Indian seas contain some fishes nearly allied to dentex, 

 which form a small group (Pentapus) in which the extremity 

 of the jaws has only two strong teeth, between which some- 

 times two or four smaller ones are to be seen : the other teeth 

 are small and crowded, and placed on a very narrow band. 



The name is derived from their long and pointed scales, 

 placed one between the ventrals, and the other two at the 

 base of these fins, which gives them the appearance of having 

 five ventrals, or five feet. This character, however, is not 

 altogether peculiar to them, for it is found in other fishes, and 

 particularly in most of the menides. 



The mouth is but little cleft ; the body is rounded, and 

 covered with scales of no great hardness, which advance upon 

 the forehead more than in the genus dentex. 



Linnaeus was not acquainted with the pentapodes. Their 

 discovery is due to Commerson, who first described one of 

 their most brilliant species {vittatus), which he saw in the Isle 

 of France in 1769. 



The subgenus Lethrinus is distinguished by a character 

 easily observed, the nakedness of a considerable portion of the 

 head. They partake much of the nature of dentex, but 

 besides the nakedness of the head, are distinguished from 

 them by the form of their side teeth. Like dentex they have 



