78 SERIOLA COSMOPOLITA. 



within the orbit. The mouth is small, compressed, opens obliquely downwards and 

 backwards, and ascends above the lower margin of the eye ; the upper jaw is very 

 protractile ; the lower is thick in the vertical direction, and longer than the upper, 

 so as to make part of the facial outline when the mouth is closed ; and both are 

 armed with minute, card-like, and pointed teeth ; the vomer has a small patch in 

 front, and the palate-bones have a narrow group of similar asperities ; the tongue 

 is slightly roughened along its central portion ; the pharyngeal bones are closely 

 covered with minute teeth, similar to those in the jaws, but smaller. 



The pre-opercle is round, and rather prolonged at its angle, with the skin beau- 

 tifully arranged in minute plaits or folds. The opercle is sub-rhomboidal, with 

 its anterior inferior angle prolonged and pointed, and its posterior border so emar- 

 ginate as to form two flattened points, from which the skin hangs. The sub-oper- 

 cle is an isosceles triangle, with its base below ; the inter-opercle is rounded and 

 broad, and does not join the opercle. The gUl-openings are large ; there are seven 

 branchial rays. 



There are two dorsal fins ; the anterior is preceded by a minute recumbent spine, 

 and has eight erect spines, the first and last short, the third and fourth longest ; 

 it is completely received in a groove. The posterior dorsal is very long, low, and 

 has one spinous and twenty-seven soft rays, covered with a delicate skin at their 

 roots. The pectoral is falciform, slender, and very long, as it begins at the oper- 

 cle, and terminates with the origin of the tenth dorsal soft ray ; it has eighteen 

 rays. The ventrals are very short, near together, and placed in a depression, as is 

 also the vent ; each ventral has one spinous and five soft rays. The anal is pre- 

 ceded by two prominent spines, placed in a groove, and connected by a delicate 

 membrane ; it is almost as long as the soft dorsal, with which it terminates behind ; 

 it has one spinous and twenty-seven soft rays. The caudal is broad, widely forked, 

 and has seventeen rays. 



The scales are minute, and mostly concealed by the skin. The lateral line is 

 arched, and concurrent with the outline of the back in its anterior half, with slight 



