EPHIPPUS GIGAS. 105 



hardly to be distinguished from the trunk ; to these, however, he added some less 

 extensive genera, that are characterized by having a compressed body and scaly 

 fins ; as Brama, Schneider ; Pimelopterus, LacepMe ; &c. It is a very extensive 

 family, comprising eighteen genera and one hundred and fifty-one known species, 

 mostly inhabitants of the inter-tropical seas, though some few are found as far north 

 as New York, and as far south as Brazil. 



GENUS EPHIPPUS.— CwrnVr. 



Characters. Dorsal fin double, or deeply emarginate ; spinous portion with- 

 out scales, and received in a groove ; soft portion thickly covered with scales ; body 

 oval, or sub-round ; pectoral fin short ; anal, with three spines ; branchial rays six. 



EPHIPPUS GIGAS. — Parkinson. 

 Plate XV. Fig. 2. 



Specific Characters. Body sub-round, compressed; head short, elevated; 

 crest of the cranium enlarged ; first inter-spinal bone of the anal fin large and 

 mallet-shaped ; body above, dusky, tinged with green, or lead colour ; below, dull 

 silver. D. 8-1-21. P. 17. V. 1-5. A. 3-17. C. 17. 



Synonymes. Chsetodon gigas, Parkinson, MS. 



Ephippus gigas, Cuv. et Vol., Hist. Nat. Poiss., torn. vii. p. 121. 

 Ephippus gigas, DeKay, Zool. N. Y., part iv. p. 99, pi. 23, fig. 71. 

 Ephippus gigas, Slorer, Synops., p. 87. 

 Angel-fish, Vulgo. 



Description. The fomi of this fish, without the tail, is sub-round, compressed 

 at the sides, the back much arched, and the belly nearly straight. The head is 

 moderate in length, elevated and sharp above, but thicker and rounded below, and 

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