124 SCOMKRID.E. 



from the thickness of tlie sliort muzzle, and great breadth and strength of the 

 lower jaw. Its length is about one fourth of that of the whole fish, exceeding con- 

 siderably the depth. The eyes are round and large, their diameter equalling one 

 fifth of the length of the head. The margins of their orbits, which are quite plain 

 and flat, are formed by a sharp simple edge of the hard skin, not of bone. They 

 are placed a little below the outline of the head above, which descends with a very 

 gradual and equal curve from the origin of the dorsal fin to the tip of the muzzle. 

 The top of the head between the eyes is very broad, flat, and even : the space 

 across, measuring from eye to eye, equalling nearly a diameter and a half of the 

 eye. The muzzle or upper jaw extends about once and a half its own diameter 

 before the eye : the lower jaw is rather longer, and still more broad or thick and 

 clumsy : both with rather broad flat lips. The anterior nostril is a small round 

 simple orifice, half way between the eye and tip of the upper jaw : the hinder is a 

 mere vertical or lunate slit, opening only as the skin gi'ows dry, nearer the eye. 



Mouth and gape enormous : the latter descending obliquely as far back as be- 

 neath the middle of the eye, where it is overlapped by the narrow exposed ends of 

 the maxillaries. The teeth are strong, but not nearly so long or large in proportion 

 to the size of the fish as in PronietheKs or Thyrsites : and considerably larger on the 

 edges of the lower than of the upper jaw. Each jaw is furnished all round the 

 edges or intermaxillaries with a row of nearly equal subrecurved and sharp teeth, 

 growing somewhat two and two together towards the front, particularly in the 

 upper jaw : but for the most part, and especially in full-sized fishes, pretty regu- 

 larly and distinctly placed. Of these the upper jaw has from fifty to sixty; the 

 lower about forty. Close behind these in the upper jaw, but nearly at its tip, and 

 growing out of the intermaxillaries where they dilate to form their symphysis, is a 

 group of from three to five, but often of two pair of larger teeth, set one behind 

 the other along the edges of the symphysis ; those of the hinder pair being the 

 largest, and further apart laterally from each other. At some distance behind this 

 gi'oup, there is a second group of generally three, but sometimes only two, much 

 smaller teeth, more slender and recurved, placed in a lunate transverse line : these 

 are belonging to the vomer. And again, beginning a little behind the outermost 

 of these, the palatinal teeth extend backwards in a single line or row of from 

 fifteen to twenty small but distinct and equal slender close- set equidistant recurved 

 teeth, the size of those round the edges of the upper jaw, or rather smaller than 

 tlie vomerine teeth. The tongue is large, free, prominent, and flat in front ; and 

 like the gullet perfectly smooth and even : the latter being merely furnished with 

 the usual pharyngeal plates, which are, however, armed with strong thick-set re- 

 curved teeth. 



The opercle, preopercle, and interopercle are perfectly plain, flat, and unarmed : 

 with the edges quite entire. There is no trace externally of the humeral or super- 

 scapulary bones : but the whole shoulder is like the rest of the head, singularly 

 plain and simple. The branchial opening is enormous : but the branchial mem- 

 brane, which is seven-rayed, is narrow, and does not appear externally. Its rays 

 are somewhat weak or slender. 



The first dorsal fin begins forward on the nape, in a line above the hinder edge 

 or point of the opercle ; and ends opposite the vent ; extending thus in length a 

 distance equal to one third the whole length of the fish. It is remarkably low, 

 and even, or of nearly equal height throughout, which in no part exceeds one 

 fourth or one fifth part of the depth of the body below it. The rays are thus, 

 except the two first and two or three last, nearly equal : the last of all being 

 almost prostrate and buried in the skin ; the whole being seated in a groove. 

 All the rays are decidedly spinose, but weak and flexible, or scarcely pungent. 

 They are striate longitudinally : but the whole fin is otherwise quite smooth. 



