Zoology.'] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Fishes. 



Plate 134. 

 LABRICHTHYS BLEEKERI (Cast.). H 



Bleeker's Parrot-eish. 



[Genus LABRICHTHYS (Bleeker). (Sub-kingdom Vertebrata. Class Pisces. Sub- 

 class Teleostea. Order Acanthopterygii. Sub-order Pharyngognathi. Family Labrida?.) 



Gen. Char. — Body moderately compressed, oblong; snout narrow, projecting; scales 

 large ; operculum scaly ; cheeks more or less scaly ; preoperculum not serrated. Lateral line 

 continuous. Teeth sharp, conical, in 1 or 2 rows in upper jaw ; usually 1 or 2 large canine 

 teeth on each side in front, and often a large, conical, posterior canine tooth at angle of mouth 

 in upper jaw. Fins, 9 spinous and 10 or 11 branched rays in dorsal, and 3 spinous and 10 

 branched in anal. Pacific and Indian Archipelago.] 



D. 9 + 10; V. 1 + 5; A. 3 + 10; P. 13; C. 14; L.L. 26 T V 



Description. — Body ovate, greatest depth a little in front of middle, mode- 

 rately compressed ; depth ahout 3^- in total length, including- caudal. Head 

 moderate, ahout 3f in total length ; cheeks with radiating, branched ridges behind 

 and below the eye, and coarsely granulated above and in front of eye, with a vertical 

 curved patch of scales rather nearer the edge of the preoperculum than the eye, 

 large, tubular, and in 1 row above, smaller, simple, and in 2 and 3 rows below; 3 

 imperfect rows of large, rounded scales on the operculum ; gill-opening large, curved ; 

 smooth, rounded lobe of operculum nearly quadrate and almost touching upper edge 

 of pectoral fin. Teeth: a series of 12 conical teeth above, and 11 below, diminishing 

 from the front canines, which are much the largest; with or without a posterior upper 

 canine at coiner of mouth; a row of much smaller and blunter teeth inside the outer 

 row. Scales: of body large, not extending on dorsal fin ; those of lateral line 26, 

 branching tubules smooth, very irregular, the branches varying from 2, or more fre- 

 quently 3, to the most frequent number 4, descending abruptly at the 20th (which 

 is under the last ray of dorsal fin), the width of 1 scale, the 5 last scales running to 

 a little above middle of caudal fin, on which are from 3 to 6 smaller, simple scales, 

 forming short rows between the rays; there are 4 rows of scales above and 10 below 

 the lateral line at middle of body. Fins : Spinous part of dorsal of 9 spines, shorter 

 than the 10 branched rays, which increase to the 5th, and then decrease to the end, 

 so that the last ray is twice its length from the caudal; caudal sub-truncate, obtusely 

 rounded, of 14 rays ; anal terminating slightly in front of dorsal ; ventral of 1 spine 

 and 5 branched rays, sub-rhombic or sub-ovate, not prolonged into a slender point ; 

 pectoral large, rounded. Color : Ground color of back and sides olive-green 

 (darkest on back and on 3 or 4 imperfect, vertical bands, one at base of tail, one at 

 end of dorsal and anal fins, one in front of middle of those fins, and one extending 

 from posterior end of spinous dorsal on to head), and whitish pale blue below ; 

 posterior margin of each scale edged with dull carmine-red; top of head dark reddish- 

 olive ; cheeks and throat dull red, marbled with irregular spots and vermicular marks 

 of bluish-white ; dorsal fin mottled irregularly with pale clouds of green and reddish ; 

 rays reddish, with three irregular rows of dull, purple, cloudy spots; the soft dorsal 

 with a broad margin of pale red; caudal with greenish-yellow membrane and 

 orange rays, irregularly variegated with one or two rows of red spots ; anal dull red, 

 with four rows of round green spots on the membrane (in one specimen the fin is 

 green, and spots red); ventrals pale red; pectorals with brilliant chrome-yellow rays 

 and pale greenish-yellow membrane; iris with irregular, imperfect circles of green, 

 white, and orange. 



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