CARANX HIPPOS. 89 



two diameters from the angle of the opercle ; the pupil is deep blue, the iris 

 golden, intermixed with greenish-olive, and is covered behind with a nictitating 

 membrane. The nostrils are closely approximated; the posterior and larger is 

 oval, and more elevated than the anterior, which is semilunar ; they are midway 

 between the eye and snout, near the anterior extremity of the supra-orbital ridge, 

 and on a line within the orbit. 



The mouth is large, with tolerably thick lips ; the lower jaw is apparently 

 longer than the upper Avhen the mouth is open, but is in fact shorter, as its teeth 

 are received within it Avhen the mouth is closed. The upper jaw is armed with a 

 series of small teeth, conical and pointed ; within this are several rows of minute, 

 card-like teeth ; the lower jaw has but a single series, similar to the external row 

 of the upper jaw, and a few scattered teeth. The vomer has a small patch of 

 minute teeth in front ; and each palate-bone has an oblong group, broadest near its 

 posterior part. The tongue is furnished with an elongated, quadrilateral patch of 

 similar minute teeth. The free margin of the pre-opercle is semilunar, and smooth, 

 or without spines or serratures. The opercle is irregularly four-sided, with its ante- 

 rior inferior angle prolonged and pointed, and it terminates in two flat points 

 behind, the inferior being the longer and angular. The sub-opercle is nearly tri- 

 angular, elongated, with its apex upwards and truncated. The inter-opercle is 

 very large, broad, and semicircular. The whole head is smooth, or without scales, 

 except a few on the cheeks, in front of the pre-opercle. The gill-openings are 

 large ; there are seven branchial rays. 



There are two dorsal fins ; the anterior is elevated, and is preceded by a recum- 

 bent spine ; it has eight spines ; the first is minute, the third is longest, and the 

 eighth very short, and all are received in a groove when the fin is folded ; the 

 posterior dorsal is long, falciform, and has one spinous and twenty-four soft rays, 

 with a wall of scales at their root ; the first, second, and third rays are longest. 

 The pectoral is exceedingly long, slender, and beautifully falciform ; it begins at 

 the opercle, and ends pointedly, in a line with the fourth anal ray ; it has nineteen 

 rays. The ventral is short ; it arises in a line with the posterior margin of the 



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