138 



PISCES. 



CiEsio, Lacep. 

 Only diffei-s from Smaris in a dorsal somewhat higher in front, and 

 surrounded at its base with fine scales. They inhabit the Indian 

 ocean, and are shaped like a spindle.(l) 



Gerres, Cyxy.Mocharra, in South America. 

 The mouth protractile, but when advancing, it descends; the body 

 IS elevated the anterior part of the dorsal in particular, along the 

 base of whose posterior portion is a scaly sheath. They have no 

 other teeth than those in the jaws, which are small and crowded. 

 1 he first interspinal of their anal fin is tabular as in certain Pagri. 

 They are excellent food, and inhabit the hot parts of both oceans (2) 

 G. rhombeus, Cuv. j Sloane, II, pi. 253, f. l. A species that is 

 said to penetrate occasionally as far as the coast of Cornwall, 

 ollowmg pieces of wood covered with Anatif^, carried there by 

 the currents.(3) 



FAMILY VI. 



SQUAMIPENNES. 



So called, because the soft, and frequently the spinous 

 parts of their dorsal and anal fins are covered with scales, 

 which encrust them, as it Were, and render it difficult to dis- 

 tinguish them from the mass of the body. This is the most 

 remarkable character of these fishes, the body of which is ge- 



(1) Csesio asuror, Lacep, HI, 86, or Vacku7n, Valent.. 132 or T^^M.V. ^^ , 

 Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat. livr. 1V;-C smaris ',/"'' l.''^'"^ ^""^^^''^ '^^^"^. 

 nl ^9 r tVA. 7? ^- " *^ ' ^- smarts, Cuv., or Fackum mare, Renard, I. 



lJ%L2'~ftT T'"^' ""' '''' " ^'--^-^^"^ Q-y et Gayin. 

 p 336 -^-Sparus cumng, BI., 263, or Cychla cuning, Bl. Schn, 



N B. M. de Lacep^de also makes a Ceesio of the Scomber eguula of Forskal or 

 Centrogaster eguula of Gmelin, which is our Eguula caballa. ' 



Lac' p iv"i;r/ f t"' ""'PP- ^'''- ^'''''' P^- "^'^' 2, or Spare lretor^, 

 CUV. Catesb. n xi, 2i_G. r^o.i.u., Cuv., ov Stoncba^s, Sloane, Jam., II, p] 

 25o f. l,~G.poteh, Cuv., Ren., pi. ii, f. 9, Valent., No. 354;-G. lineatus Cuv 

 or Smans kneatus, Humb., Zool. Obs. pi. xlvi, f. 2;~Gerr^ ar^yrZZv 2 

 Sawnaargyrea, Forster,or Cychla argyrea Bl Schn '''^'1 ""^^7""' ^uv., or 

 Wordawahah, Russ., f. 68. ^oi^ri..;-G.^lamentoms, Cuv., or 



(3) Couch, Lin. Trans., XIV, part. I, p. 81. J 



