MAIGRE. 



51 



C/ieiUnlipteru." (iijiiila, Lacki'., I/ist. Xat. J'oifs.. V, p. 684; 



Cuv., Vai.., (Sciu'txt'), Hint. Nat. Pois.i., V, p. 28, tab. 100; 



Nass., Skand. Fii., Fisk., p. 75G; Lilu., Hv.. Norg. Fiak., 



I, p. 199; Hansen, Zool.-Dau., F/.'tke, p. 32, tab. V, fig. 5. 

 iHfiinin iiinbra, Cl'v., R. Anim., ed. II, vol. IT, p. 172; BoNAp., 



Fn. Ital., vol. Ill, tab. 88, fig. 1, p. 65. 

 6'vicena antarctica, Castelnau, Proc. Zool. Soc. Vict. 1872, p. 



100; Ten.-Woods, ;V. i'. Wal. Fish, ami Fisher., p. 53, 



tab. XVI. 



\\ hat first attracts our attention in the appearance 

 of tlic Mai_<ir(', when we compare it with the preceding 

 IVrcdiiiorphi, i.s the great length of the second dor.sal 

 liii .111(1 the shortness of the anal. Tlie plentiful cover- 

 ing of scales on the head reminds us most of the Sea- 

 perch, ;iiul the grayish black spot which we see on the 

 opei-ciiluni through tlie silver (sometimes golden) sheen 

 of the scales, ini'reases this resemblance and thus ex- 

 plains the confusion of these two species which we often 

 find among fishermen." Both reach a very considerable 

 size, though in this respect the IMaigre far surpasses 

 the Sea-perch, as it attains a length of at least 2 

 metres. The form of the bod}' is about the same 

 as that of the Sea-perch. In the Maigre, as well as 

 in the Sea-perch the length of the body is 4 or .5 

 times the greatest depth, and from 4 to 4V3 times 

 the length of the head. But the least depth of 

 the body (the least depth of the tail) is smaller* in 

 the Maigre, being about ?)6 % of the greatest depth, 

 whereas in the Sea-perch it is about 4.5 %''. Besides 

 these, the most remarkable point in the external ap- 

 pearance of the Maigre is the oblique position of the 

 scales, directed, as they are, posteriorly upwards. Ac- 

 cording to Steindachner (1. c), the caudal fin is com- 

 pletely covered with scales, which, hoAvever, easily drop the neighbouring part of tlie Atlantic. Still it is seldom 

 off. On each side of the bases of the dorsal fins the skin , taken on a hook*", but usually in a large-meshed net, 

 grows into a longitudinal, scah- flap, thus forming a and Duha.aiel declares that the fishermen can detect 

 groove in ^\■hk■h these fins may be partly concealed. ; where tlie fish is and where to set the net, by its "song", 

 The dental equipment of the mouth, too, is quite unlike : which is said to be audible from a depth of twenty 

 that of the Sea-perch, for though the Maigre has not fathoms. It is valued not only as food — the head 

 so large canine teeth as the Scia>noid genera Ofolifhiis is especially prized — but also for the large 'otolithes' 

 and Ancylodon, still it has an outer row of large, (hearing-stones) which distinguish all tiie Scuenidte. To 

 scattered jaw-teeth, largest on the intermaxillaries, which these is ascribed a magic power: they are kejrt as talis- 

 project from the velvety, ))apillose skin, which in its mans and used as a cure for colic, if they have been 

 turn conceals the inner patch of cardiform teeth. The received as a gift, but if purchased, they are thought 

 gill-rakers are strong, and on the front of the first useless. 



bi'aniliial arch and ahiKJSt univci'sally on tlic anterior side 

 of th(! back ones they change into large-, spinous nodules, 

 while on the pharyngeals, upper and lower, they are 

 (le\clo|ie(l into cardiform rows (;f strong and pointed 

 teetii. The first spinous ray in tlie anal fin is extremely 

 short and often hidden by skin and scales, while the 

 second is weak in comparison witli the ravs in that 

 group of the genus to which Cuvikr has given the 

 generic name Corvina. 



The bright ;ind gorgeous silver-gray colour of the 

 body becomes white on the belh' and shades off into 

 brown on the l)a<'k, while on the oi-ciput, according to 

 D.w, it is green with a lustre of purple and gold. How- 

 ever, these shades vary very coiisideral)ly. The fins are 

 reddish brown or I'cd, the dorsal ami rniujal, according 

 to Steindachner, edged with gray, as are also the ends 

 of the pectoral and anal fins, according to Day. The 

 scales on the body are punctated with fine, black dots. 



According to Yah hell'', the Maigre is .seldom taken 

 less than 3 feet in length oft" the English coast. It 

 is not common there, though, according to Day, it 

 is sometimes taken in numbers oft' the coast of Devon- 

 shire and Cornwall. Steindachner procured small spe- 

 cimens in Cadiz and Barcelona. Geoffroy St. Hilaire 

 and Ehrenberg also brought home small specimens from 

 Egy])t, a, circumstance which led Cuvier to conjecture 

 that the Maigre spawns along the south coa.st of the 

 Mediterranean, as one can never get small ^Maigres on 

 the north coast. 



The Maigre is distinctly a fish of prey, and seems 

 to follow the .sardine-shoals in the Mediten-anean and 



" Of. Ddhamel, 1. c. p. 136 and Cuvier, 1. c. 



' 7.2 % of the length of the body in a specimen 268 mm. long. 



J. 8 ,'9 ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,* ,t ,, ,, i^O ,, ,, 



"* Brit. Fish., ed. 2, vol. I, p. 107. 



' According to Tesison-Woods (1. c), in Australia the large Maigres arc caught with hook and line, the small ones in drag-nets. 



