320 



PKISTIPOMATID^. 



Riipp., from which, however, it must be distinguished, on account of 

 its shorter and higher tail. One might also suppose it to be iden- 

 tical with Pristijjoma nignmi, of which we find a bad description 

 by Cuvier in the Hist. Nat. des Poissons : but oiu' fish, having no 

 central groove beneath the chin, cannot be referred to Pristipoma. 

 The form of the body is very compressed and elevated, its greatest 

 depth being 2| in the total length. The upper profile is nearly 

 straight along the base of the spinous dorsal, but it descends steeply 

 along that of the soft, and stiU more from the origin of the dorsal to 

 the snout. The lower profile is nearly straight between the snout 

 and the anal fin. The length of the head is 3f in the total ; it is 

 very compressed, the distance between the eyes being one-haK only of 

 the width of the orbit. The snout is short, but elevated ; the cleft 

 of the mouth horizontal, rather narrow, the upper maxillary extend- 

 ing to the vertical from the anterior margin of the orbit ; all the snout 

 scaleless. The nostrils are situated immediately before the eye ; 

 they are rather distant from each other, and nearly equal in width. 

 The diameter of the eye is 3^ in the length of the head, and longer 

 than the greatest width of the prseorbital. The praeoperculum is 

 distinctly serrated, and covered with scales to the margin ; its 

 posterior limb is nearly vertical and twice as long as the inferior ; 

 the angle is rounded. The operculum has a crescent-shaped notch 

 between two obtuse points. The suprascapula is serrated. 



The dorscdis begins above the suprascapula and terminates a little 

 behind the anal ; the length of the base of the spinous dorsal is 

 nearly twice as long as that of the soft. The spines are strong, and 

 broader on one side than on the other : the first is two-fifths of the 

 length of the second, the second three-fifths of the third ; the fourth is 

 the longest, and 2^ in the height of the body ; the following decrease 

 in length to the thii-teenth, the last being a little longer than the pre- 

 ceding, and about equal to the second. The soft dorsal has a rounded 

 upper margin, the middle rays being the highest, but rather shorter 

 than the foiu-th dorsal spine. All the fin is scaleless, and moves in a 

 scaly sheath. The distance between the dorsal and caudal fins is 

 nearly one-half the length of the base of the soft dorsal, and less than 

 the height of the tail below the end of that fin. The caudal fin is 

 slightly rounded, scaly at the base, and its length 5| in the total. 

 The distance between the caudal and anal fins equals the length of 

 the base of the latter. The origin of the amd fin falls vertically 

 below the fourth dorsal spine, and its end a little before that of the 

 dorsal ; the spines are very strong : the first is one-third of the 

 length of the second, the second is 2| in the height of the body ; the 

 third is one-third shorter than the former, and broader on the right 

 side than on the left. The soft portion is shorter than the spinous, 

 and the whole fin moves in a scaly sheath. The jjectoral is rounded, 

 and shorter than the ventral, the length of which is 4^ in the total ; 

 it reaches to the vent, and its base is situated posteriorly to that of 

 the pectoral. 



The scales are of moderate size, one of the largest covering about 

 one-fourth of the eve : they are finely ciliated, and about as high as 



