160 MUGILID^. 



of a circle : and the edges of the interopercles meet under the throat, concealing 

 the six-rayed branchial membrane ; and, running straight and parallel from the 

 level of the eyes quite to the tip of the lower jaw, leave only a narrow straight 

 and even line or commissure, fui'nished with five or six pores on each side forwards 

 towards the front. 



The first dorsal fin is placed in a slight groove halfway between the tip of the 

 muzzle and the base of the caudal fin, but a little behind the centre of gravity. 

 It is abrupt, short, and high, or vertically oblong ; its height more or less * exceed- 

 ing the length of its base, and nearly equalling half the depth below it of the 

 body. The bases of the three first spines, which are of nearly equal length and 

 strength, are very close together, and placed sublaterally to each other, so that 

 they fold together very curiously and compactly ; the first shutting in between the 

 second and third. The fourth spine is remote, and much weaker and shorter than 

 these three : it is webbed down to the back behind ; and in this web there is 

 often, probably from injury, a notch or sinus. On each side its base is a long 

 acuminate adpressed fi-ee lamina, formed of a row of gradually naiTOwer and more 

 pointed imbricated scales, the tip of which reaches a little beyond the end of the 

 base of the fin, or to the tip of the fourth spine, when recumbent. It resembles 

 that which is found at the fore-axil of the ventral fins in this and so many other 

 fishes. The first spine, like the web, is naked : but the second and third are 

 minutely scaled alternately on one side only ; the second on the right, the third 

 on the left side of the fish. 



The second dorsal fin begins halfway between the commencement of the first 

 dorsal and of the caudal fins. It is high, short, and subrhomboidal, with the 

 outer margin arcuato-concave, and the front edge convex : twice as high in front 

 as behind, yet with the last ray longer than the one or two before it. Its height 

 in front exceeds the length of its base ; equalling the distance from the base of 

 its first to the tip of its last ray. Its first ray is obscure, simple, but not pungent ; 

 and the second, or longest, partakes more or less of the same characters. The 

 remaining rays, like those of all the other fins, are peculiarly broad or stout, and 

 copiously branched. Its base is thick and fleshy, not in a groove, or furnished 

 with any appendage like the first dorsal, but with scales extending up between 

 the rays in imbricated lines. The last ray is neither double nor webbed to the 

 back behind. 



The anal fin begins and ends a little forwarder, and is longer, with both ends 

 more pointed in proportion to its height ; but nearly coiTesponds with the second 

 dorsal in its characters. It has however three instead of one obscure simple ray 

 in front, and its last ray is double or distinctly bifid. 



The pectoral fins are short or broadly ovate, being only one seventh of the 

 whole length of the fish. They are placed halfway up the side, and have a sort 

 of skinny sheathing pouch or membrane at their upper or fore axil ; but no elongate 

 or enlarged scale, like M. cepJicdus, Cuv. The first ray is simple or unbranched. 



The ventral fins are not much shorter than the pectoral ; but are proportion- 

 ately broader, or nearly equilaterally triangular. The first ray or spine is often 

 scarcely pungent, but rather flexible. The five next rays are copiously branched ; 

 and the last of them is webbed completely to the body. These fins are placed 

 decidedly behind the pectoral, not quite halfway between them and the first dorsal 

 fin. They have a long acuminated imbricate appendage, formed of pointed scales, 

 originating from their front axil, and forming a slight horizontal ridge along the 

 side, beneath which they lie, when reclined or folded up. The first dorsal fin 



* It is not perhaps uniformly so high or vertically oblong as in the individual figured, but is 

 sometimes more triangular. 



