163 



LONG-SNOUTED CENTRARCHUS. 



Centr archils ? ? rostratus. 



PLATE XV. 



L. Geral, Acarra. Sckomb. Drawings, No. 60. 



This prettily marked fish is also accompanied with 

 few details ; " it was taken in the Rio Negro in 

 February; the teeth are a single row in each jaw ; 

 the gill-covers have five rays ; the scales are large, 

 elliptical and adhesive. Above, the colouring is 

 clear olive, shading off about the lateral line, be- 

 neath which the lower half of the first is silvery ; 

 the tail also is olive, shading at the base into indigo- 

 blue, and having a narrow band of the same colour 

 near the extremity of the body ; the remaining fins 

 are yellowish brown and olive, and on the anal 

 olive between the rays ; on the dorsal having the 

 caudal aspect of the spiny rays tipped with reddish 

 orange. The mouth and snout are rather lengthened ; 

 the jaws even ; the opercula terminate posteriorly 

 in a slightly accuminated point or angle, and the 

 space between the pectoral and ventral fins are 

 marked with small irregular blotches of reddish 

 orange ; on the angle of the preoperculum there is 

 an irregular roundish spot of black, and on the 



