^^^ PISCES. 



barely perceptible to the touchy the body oblong, head obtuse, and 

 the lateral line continuous^ the dorsal and anal enveloped by scales 

 nearly to the summit of the spines. 



a genizara, Cuv.^ Parra. pi. xxi, f. i. The only species 

 knownj of a purple red. From the Antilles. 



GoMPHosus, Lacep Elops, Commers. 

 Labroides, with an entirely smooth head, as in Julisj but owin^ 

 to the pro ongation of the intermaxillaries and maxillaries, which 

 are united by the teguments as far as the small opening of the 

 mouth, the muzzle is made to resemble a long thin tube.(l) 



They are taken in the Indian Ocean, and the flesh of certain 

 species is held in the highest estimation. (2) 



XiRICHTHYS, CuV. 

 These fishes resemble a Labrus as to form, but are much com- 

 pressed j the front descends suddenly towards the mouth in a tren- 

 chant and almost vertical line, formed by the ethmoid and the ascend- 

 ing branches of the intermaxillaries. Their body is covered with large 

 scales; the lateral line is interrupted; the jaws are armed with a range 

 of conical teeth, the central ones longest; the pharynx is paved with 

 hemispherical teeth; the intestinal canal is continuous with two flex- 

 ures without, caeca; no cul-de-sac to the stomach; a tolerably long 

 natatory bladder. Until we arranged them otherwise, they were 

 always placed by naturalists among the Coryph^ns, from which 

 they greatly diff-er, both internally and externally. They approxi 

 mate most to Labrus, only diflering in the profile of the head. (3) 

 1 he greater number have a naked head. Such is 



X novacula; Corypha^na novacula, L.;RondtL; 146,Salv. 117 

 Red, variously striped with blue. The flesh is esteemed.(4) 



(1) Gomphoms viridis, Cuv., or G. Lacepede, Quoy and Gayra. Voy. Freycin 

 Zool pi. Iv f. 2;-G. cceruleus, Lacep. HI, pi. v, f. 1, or Acarauna longirostris, 

 Sevastianof, Nov. Act. Petrop. xiii, t. XI;-G. variegatus, Lacep., lb. f. 2. 



Gomphosus, from >o^<?>of, cuneus, clavus. 



(2) Renard, Poissons de la mer des Indes, part II, pi. xii, f. 109. Commerson, 

 however, says that the candeus is but indifferent food. 



(3) The sharp edge of the head of the Coryph.n. is owing to the interparietal 

 c est; their scales are small and soft; their c^ca numerous. See Mem. du Mus, 



(4) Th^Coryph. Uneolata, Rafin., Caratt., 33, does not differ from the novacula,- 

 but the Novacula corypha^na, of Risso, is nothing more than the Centroloplms. 

 Th^Coryph. cceruka, Bl., 176, is a Scarus-Add, Cor. psiitacus, L, and some new 

 species. 



