15. COSSYPHITS. 107 



10. Cossjrplius tredecimspinosus. 

 D. }2. A. :^. L. lat. 33. L. transv. 5/12. 



Snout pointed, its length being more than one-third of that of the 

 head ; head longer than high ; preeopercuhira not serrated. A large 

 whitish blotch below the soft dorsal ; a blackish cross -band in front of 

 the blotch, descending from the ninth, tenth and eleventh dorsal spines. 



Hah. ? 



a. Twelve inches long. From the Haslar Collection. 



Description. — The greatest depth of the body is above the ventral 

 fins, equal to the length of the head, and one-third of the total length 

 (without caudal). Head compressed, longer than high. Interorbital 

 space very convex, nearly twice as wide as the orbit, the diameter 

 of which is two-fifths of the length of the snout, and nearly one- 

 seventh of that of the head. Snout pointed. 



The scales on the cheek and interopercvilum are small ; those on 

 the cheek are arranged in eight series, without the scales which cover 

 the limbs of the praeoperculura ; opercular scales smaller than those 

 on the body. The posterior limb of the prseoperculum nearly twice 

 as long as the inferior. Pectoral obliquely rounded, two-thirds as 

 long as the head, with seventeen rays ; the ventral has the outer 

 ray prolonged, and rather exceeding the length of the pectoral ; the 

 spine is strong, its length being contained twice and two-thirds in 

 that of the head. The dorsal fin commences above the base of the 

 pectoral ; the spines increase in length posteriorly, the first being 

 rather shorter than the eye, the last as long as the ventral spine; the 

 membrane between them is deeply notched, emitting a short lobe for 

 each spine. The soft dorsal and anal do not extend to the root ol 

 the caudal, when laid backwards ; there is a broad scaly sheath on 

 the base of the dorsal and anal ; anal spines strong, the third the 

 longest, as long as the ventral spine. Caudal fin slightly rounded, 

 but with the lobes produced. 



Tubes of the lateral line not branched. 



Each jaw with four strong, curved canine teeth, the outer of the 

 upper jaw and the middle of the lower being smaller than the 

 others ; the lateral teeth are distinct, but united into a ridge ; six- 

 teen are found on each side of the lower jaw ; intermaxillary with 

 one or two posterior canines on each side. The interior of the jaw- 

 bones is not covered by a mucous membrane, granular, containing 

 numerous young teeth destined to replace the lateral ones. 



The form of the lower pharyngeal bone is the same as in other 

 Cossi/phi, viz. hammer-like, with the anterior branch not longer than 

 the lateral ; posterior margin slightly convex ; teeth pavement-hke, 

 those on the middle of the posterior margin much larger than the 

 others, which are granular ; those on the extremity of the front 

 branch conical, distant. 



The colours have apparently faded ; the markings mentioned are 

 very distinct, and the first ventral ray appears to be brownish, with 

 the outer margin white. 



