SEA-BREAMS. 



53 



In their maimer of lite the Spaiulfe closely re- 

 semble the Lahridrc, and several exotic genera of" the 

 former family are also very like the Wrasses in ap- 

 pearance. The priiicipiil character of the Sparidce, too, 

 is ex])r('sse(l in their strong teeth, adapted for crushing 

 or biting their food, and m;iny of tlicm are remarkable 

 for their tiiick lips, sometimes fringed witii a velvety, 

 papillose covering, which may be contimied into the 

 moutli and thei'e ch;iiige into a, coat of longitudinal 

 folds on tiie palate and tongue". They live for the most 

 part on mussels and other siielliish or crustaceans, the 

 shells of which tliev have to crush. Some species, how- 

 ever, which are pro\ided with a longer digestive canal 

 than the others, feed principally on seaweed. In con- 

 sequence of this diet the Sparida) are generally shore- 

 fishes, which, while young, live in shallow and tidal 

 watei's, but in old age keep to deep water. The young 

 are often found in shoals, the old ones, on the con- 

 trary, are generally of solitary habits. From olden 

 times they have been highly esteemed among Mediter- 

 ranean fishes by the Greeks and Romans, and one sj^e- 

 cies, the Gilt-head {Sj^arns aurata) was kept alive 

 in captivity and fed on mussels, to form a highly 



prized dish. L>ut the family is no less valuable in 

 domestic economy in America, where the Sheep's-head 

 (Diplodns inobatocephalus = Surf/us ovis), which attains 

 a length of 3.') inches and ;i, weight of 14 or 15 lbs., 

 is considered one of the most delicious salt-water fishes 

 of the United States'', or in Australia, where the Schnap- 

 per {S2)arus imicolor), which may weigh as much as 

 28 His.", is held in as great esteem. 



The family includes al)Out 120 known species from 

 the tropic and temperate seas and tlie brackish waters 

 round their coasts. Of the four groups into which it 

 is divided (subfamilies: Cantharini, Bogini'', Sargini^ 

 Sparini), and wlii<li have been distinguished by Cuvier', 

 Valknciennks-' and Gunther'-' on account of the diffe- 

 rence in the form of their t(!etli, there are two which, 

 though only on occasions more or less frequent, are 

 represented in the Scandinavian Fauna, the first, Cantha- 

 rini, including the forms which have only pointed, 

 cardiform teeth, the second, Sparini, containing those 

 which in the front of the mouth have pointed, cardi- 

 form teeth or canines and on the back of the jaws 

 obtuse, molar teeth. Of each subfamily we liave only 

 to give one genus. 



Genus CANTHARUS. 

 The jair-teefh form anteriorly a dense, strong rard^ the outer row of which consists of larger teeth than the others. 



The European side of the Atlantic, the Mediter- 

 ranean and the African side of the Indian Ocean, form 

 the habitat of the genus Cantharus, Avhereof Gunther 

 in his Catalogue (1. c.) has oidy cited 6 species as cer- 

 tairdy belonging to it. Three of these, he says, belong 

 to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic outside it, three 

 to the Cape and the Seychelles. Steindachner'', how- 



ever, has combined two of the first-mentioned species 

 into one, and if this was done with good reason, as 

 certainly seems to be the case, we are compelled also 

 to assume that the third Mediterranean species has no 

 greater right to its position, since the characters given 

 by Valenciennes for Cantharus orbicularis', have most 

 of the appearance of characters of age. 



" This structure is especially beautiful in Spariis erythrinus, for example. 



'' Cf. Cuv., Val., Hist. Nat. Foiss., VI, p. 55, following Mitchill. 



■■ Cf. Tenison-Woods, Fish a. Fisher. N. S. Wales, p. 40. 



■' Obladim, More.^u, Hist. Nat. Foiss. Fr., Ill, p. 1.3. 



' Rhjn. Anim.y ed. 2, vol. II, pp. 181, etc. 



.'■ Gov., Val., Hist. Nat. Foiss., VI, pp. 6, etc. 



■■' Cat. Brit. Afiis., Fish., I, p. 412. 



* Stzber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, LVI, I (18G7), p. 649. 



' Cuv., Vai... Hist. Nat. Poi.is., VI, p. 331. 



