EAINBOW WRASS. 51 



regarded as food, those which keep in the deeper water being 

 considered the best. 



The usual size of the Rainbow "Wrass is in length from four 

 to six or seven inches: the shape round and slender, so that 

 Willoughby, from whom much of our description is derived, 

 compares it to a Goby or Blenny. The mouth small, pointed; 

 lips fleshy; teeth in one row; those in front larger and longer, 

 especially a pair in the upper jaw. Eyes small. Head without 

 scales; body covered with them; lateral line bent angularly 

 opposite the termination of the dorsal fin. The dorsal fin 

 high at the beginning, the first rays close to the head, more 

 slender in its progress, reaching near the tail, having twenty- 

 one rays, of which nine are firm; anal fin two firm arid twelve 

 soft rays; pectoral fourteen; ventral six, of which one is firm; 

 tail round, twelve ravs. 



*- 



The colour is subject to some variation, but is always 

 beautiful; and the males are said to excel the females in this 

 respect, Along the back it is dark, (Risso says bluish green;) 

 the belly blue or whitish. From the snout a variously-coloured 

 line runs through the eyes to the middle of the sides; that 

 portion which is on the cheeks saffron-coloured, passing into 

 black, and in its further progress blue. Along the side from the 

 gill-covers to the tail a wide line, with an irregular border of 

 a light blue, and parallel to it below, a line of bright yellow. 

 Eyes red or yellow. Dorsal fin with a band of yellow near 

 the back, followed above by red, the upper border blue; on its 

 front a distinct pink mark, which extends to the three first 

 rays, and above this a black spot, including the second and 

 third ray; tail yellow with a cast of red; anal fin coloured 

 like the dorsal. 



