Sl'dlTKI) (iUNNKL. 



221 



On tlic coasts of Sc;\ii(liiinvia the Spnttcil (iiiiiiicl 

 attains a ]eii,<;'tli of at least 2;') cm."; the dcpili is alioiit 

 ' ,, of tile Icnu'th'', and the tliicl<ness, which is greatest 

 ari'oss the checks, is in Nonn,^' speciinons soinewhat move 

 than, in old sjiecimcns ('(inal to oi- less than ' \j the 

 iifveatest deptii. 'Plie bodA" is strongly compressed later- 

 all\- and I'longatcd, Ix'inii' of almost uniform (h'pth foi' 

 moi-e llian half its lenath, and then very gradually 

 tajiering towards (lie tail, 'i'his I'orm gi\-es the fish a 

 sw'ordlike a))j)earan(H', and hence, in various places, it 

 hears the name of Sirordjisli. 'fhe liead is small, mea- 

 suring only ' ,, of the length of the body, compressed, 

 and so sharp at the top that the (jcciput and forehead 

 form a rounded carina. Cheeks somewhat tumid and 

 prominent. Mouth small, turned sharply up', and fur- 

 nished with f iirl\- thii'k lijis, whicii are rolled over the 

 jaw-hones; botli jaws of about the same length; the 

 lower jaw, however, i)rojects distinctly beyond the tip 

 of the snout, when the mouth is open. The even are 

 small and set so high that a line draAvn from the back 

 point of the gill-cover to the margin of the upper jaw 

 touches their lower margin; they are also set so far 

 forA\ard that the distance from the tip of the snout to 

 the anterior margin of the eye is only */„ of that from 

 the posterior margin of the eye to the back point of 

 tlie gill-cover; their diameter is Vo> or in old specimens 

 */g of the length of the head. The length of the gill- 

 cover exceeds '/.^ of the length of the head, and its 

 end coincides with the top of the insertion of the pec- 

 toral fins. The gill-openings are of average size. Both 

 the branchiostegal membranes extend round the upper 

 corner of the gill- openings above, and below they are 

 united to each other without any ^■isible incision. They 

 thus lie tree round the isthmus, like a collar, being 

 luiited to it only in front. Branchiostegal rays 5, the 

 foui- uppermost being fairly l)road, but tlie fifth very 

 narrow, and so short that it does not extend to the 

 margin of the branchiostegal membrane, and is directed 

 more towards the isthmus. Branchial arches small, the 

 hindmost groAvn together with the posterior wall of the 

 branchial cavity and leaving onl)^ a small slit open 

 behind it. Tlie gill-rakers ajipear in the form of sub- 

 ulate teeth, set, as usual, in tAvo rows. The upper 



pharyngeals are united into two almond-shaped lumps, 

 tliickh' set with fine, cardiform teeth; the lower are 

 smaller, but their dentition similai-. Tlie tongue is 

 smooth, hard, cartilaginous and triangular, with the tip 

 free. In both jaws wc' lind small, conical, fairly sharp 

 teeth, set some distance apart from each other: in the 

 upper jaw the largest (about 11 on (!ach side) are set 

 in an outer, more regular row, within which there are 

 from 1 to o ii'i'egular rows of smaller teeth, generally 

 most numerous in the front part of the jaw. In the 

 lower jaw, on the other hand, the teeth are set in only 

 one row, about 11 (Jii each side and the largest in 

 front; but within the front teeth we find a few- small 

 ones, irregularly set and varying in number. On the 

 head of the vomer there are a few (from 3 to 6) small 

 teeth, like the; jaw-teeth, but s('t in an arcuate row. 

 The palatine bones are toothless. 



The skin is covered with an abundant mucous 

 secretion, and in the living fish one can .scarcely find 

 a ti'ace of the small, round scales, which are deeply 

 imbedded therein, and, without touching each other, 

 are spread over the whole body. The lateral line, \ 

 however, is scarcely visible, but, in the form of a row 

 of small pores, runs in a straight line almost along 

 the middle of the body, slightly nearer the dorsal edge 

 than the ventral. On the other hand, the oi-dinary 

 roAvs of pores on the head A\liich belong to the system 

 of the lateral line, are very distinct. 



The dorsal fin is unbroken, \o\v and of almost 

 uniform height: it begins above the base of the pectoral 

 fins, and extends to the caudal fin, to the base of 

 which its membrane is united, though the two fins are 

 distinctly separate. All its rays, about 80 in numl)er, 

 are simple, hard, fairly thick at the base and very 

 sharp at the tip. Theii- pungent tips are completely 

 hidden, however, by the thick membrane, as long as 

 the fin is intact, but if it l)e damaged, force their way 

 out of the covering". The anal fin is of the same 

 shape as the dorsal and ends vertically below the 

 posterior end of that tin, but it is somewhat higher. 

 The distance between it and the tip of the snout is 

 from about 47 to 52 % of the length of the body. It 

 has tM'o, hard, pungent ra\'s at the beginning, and the 



" Cf. Coi.LETT, N. Mug. Xiiturv.. 1. c. 



* The greatest depth of the body varies between 9' ^ (in young specimens) and 12 'o of tlie lengtli thereof. The least depth, at 

 the base of the caudal fin varies between 3 and .3'^ "i of the length. 



' After death the mouth is generally nion- iiptnrnfd than in lift', as at death, in tliis species as in the preceding one, the dorsal 

 muscles usually undergo so powerful contraction that tlic whole head is drawn somewhat upwards. 



