184 ACANTHOPTERYGII. LABRID^. 



swimming bladder is present, simple in structure, 

 strong, and large. 



About five hundred species are comprised in 

 this Family, of which just one-fifth are European: 

 the remainder are scattered over the shores of 

 both hemispheres, most abundantly between the 

 tropics. Around the spicy islands of the magni- 

 ficent Oriental Archipelago, among the number-' 

 less kays and rocks of the Caribbean Sea, and 

 especially in the clear and tranquil lagoons that 

 abound in the coral- girt islets of the Pacific, the 

 Wrasses, or Rock-fishes are exceedingly numerous, 

 generally of small size, but of the most vivid 

 colours. It is delightful to glide along in a boat 

 over the surface of these calm waters, and peep 

 down into the rocky chasms below, tluough an 

 element scarcely less transparent than the air 

 above ; to see the corals and madrepores growing 

 in a thousand fantastic forms, mimic shrubs of 

 contorted slender branches, irregular wavy folia- 

 tions, honey-combed masses of delicate laminae, 

 all of stone ; great round brainstones with sinuous 

 meandering furrows, all full of life ; broad sea- 

 fans of yellow and purple waving to and fro ; 

 sponges of curious shapes, and other forms of 

 animal existence at its very lowest scale. Over 

 these semi-animate masses other creatures are 

 crawling ; sea-urchins with long spines all quiyer- 

 ing and vibrating with irregular and independent 

 motion ; star-fishes, with snake-like, slender tails ; 

 and beautiful shells half enveloped in the soft 

 fleshy mantle that glows with rainbow tints, as 

 each slowly creeps along. Twining about the 

 tufts of living stone, now hiding in the cavernous 

 recesses, now emerging, are seen multitudes of 



