2. CEENILABBUS. 77 



2. CRENILABRUS*. 



Crenilabrus, Cur. Biqne Anim. ; Cuv. ^ Val. xiii. p. 146 ; Bleek. Proc. 



Zoo/. &c. 1861, p. 417. 

 Coricus, Cuv. Regne Anim. ; Cuv. 8f Val. xiii. p. 253 ) Bleek. Proc. 



Zool. Soc. 1861, p. 417. 



Body compressed, oblong, covered with scales of moderate size, in 

 less than forty transverse series ; snout more or less pointed ; imbricate 

 scales on the cheeks and on all the opercles. Teeth in the jaws 

 conical, in a single series. Dorsal spines numerous, 13-18, none of 

 which are prolonged ; anal spines three. Lateral line not interrupted. 



Coasts of the temperate parts of Europe and Africa. 



Cuvier has separated the genus Crenilabrus from Labrus on 

 account of the denticulated praeoperculum. Having observed the 

 praeoperculum to be serrated in young specimens of Cuvier's true 

 Labri, whilst several Crenilabri lose the serrature of that bone in old 

 age, I formerly refused to acknowledge the vahdity of the two genera. 

 Dr. V. Blecker, however, has shown (I. c.) that there are other 

 distinctive characters, and has particularly dii-ected attention to the 

 number of scales. He also adopts the genus Coricuf ; but this fish 

 is so closely allied to Crenilabrus ocellatus, that the single character 

 of the snout being more or less produced does not appear to me to 

 be of generic value. 



The vertebral column oi^ the different species of Crenilabrus is com- 

 posed of nearly the same number of vertebrae, viz. of fifteen or four- 

 teen in the abdominal portion, and of eighteen or seventeen in the 

 caudal. The length of the former is to that of the latter, 



in C. pavo, as 1 : 1*2. 



in C. melops, as 1 : 1*26 



in C. quinquemaculatu^, as 1 : 1*4. 



in C. griseus, as 1 : 1*27. 



* 1. Lutjanus virescens, Bl. taf. 254. — Labrus virescens, Bl. Schn. p. 249. — 

 Crenilabrus virescens, Cuv.Sf Val. xiii. p. 182. — Hab. ? 



2. Crenilabrus chrysophrus, Risso, Eur. Merid. iii. p. 319. — Cuv. ^ Val. xiii. 



p. 190.— Nice. 



3. Lutjanus olivaceus, Eisso, Ichth. JSice, p. 279 (not Lacep.). — Crenilabrus 



rissoi, Cuv. ^ Val. xiii. p. 197. — These names have probably been given 

 to specimens of Cr. ocellatus and young specimens of other species. 



4. notatus, Bl. taf. 251. fig. 2.— Labrus notatus, Bl. Schn. p. 248.— 



Crenilabrus notatus, Cuv. ^ Val. xiii. p. 217. — Hah. ■ -? 



5. chlorosochrus, Risso, Ichth. Nice, p. 275. pi. 8. fig. 27. — Crenilabrus 



chlorosochrus, Risso, Eur. Mirid. iii. p. 327. pi. 10. fig. 24 ; Cuv. ^ Val. 

 xiii. p. 215. — Mediterranean. 



6. Crenilabrus arcuatus, Ri^o, Eur. Merid. iii. p. 328 ; Cuv. ^ Val. xiii. p. 216. 



— Mediterranean. 



7. zerapliinus, G-ulia, Tcntamen, p. 13. — Malta. 



8. schemberianus, Gulia, I. c. — Crenilabrus dubius, Gulia, I. c. — Malta. 



9. serranus, Gulia, I. c. p. 14. — Malta. 



10. serranoides, Gulia, I. c. p. 15. — Malta. 



11. intermedius, Gulia, I.e. — Malta. 



12. locaninus, Gulia, I. c. p. 16. — Malta. 



13. propinquus, Gulia, I. c. p. 17. — Malta. 



