19 



LONG-FINNED GREY MULLET. 



GOLDEN MULLET. 

 Mugil aiiratus, Risso. Gunther; Cat. Br. M., vol. iii, p. 442. 



The last-cited writer says that in the British Museum there 

 are five specimens of this species obtained in England. Risso 

 speaks of it familiarly as existing in the INIediterranean, and it 

 is found in the Canary Islands ; but with us it must be scarce, 

 as the gorgeous colours ascribed to it by Risso would otherwise 

 prevent it from being overlooked; and yet no observer on the 

 coast has recognised it. 



According to Dr. Gunther the height of the body is contained 



five times and one fourth to five times and three fourths in 



the total length, the length of the head five times; snout broad 



and depressed; cleft of the mouth more than twice as broad 



as deep; eyes with the rudiments of an adipose membrane; a 



short lanceolate portion of the chin not covered by the 



mandibular bones, (represented as much like that of our Lesser 



Grey Mullet.) Twenty-five scales between the snout and the 



spinous dorsal. No pointed scale in the axil of the pectoral 



fin. Risso says that the first dorsal fin has four rays, the second 



nine, pectorals seventeen, ventrals ten (of which the first is 



spinous,) caudal fin eighteen. On the gill-covers are some 



beautiful golden spots; the back bluish; on the sides seven 



well-marked lines; the belly of a brilliant silver; ventral fin 



reddish, anal white, tail light blue. 



