1G8 



Acanthop 

 terygii. 

 Percida?. 



ICHTHYOLOGY. 



much more abundant in the Mediterranean. It is a voracious 

 fish, remarkable for the size of" its stomach, and was known 

 to the ancients under the appropriate name of lupus. 



Genus Lates, Cuv. Scarcely differs from Perca, ex- 

 cept in having deep dentations, and even a small spine at 

 the angle of the j)re-opercle, and by stronger dentations 

 also on the sub-orbital and humeral bones. 



We shall here notice only the L. Nilolicus, the largest 

 and one of the finest-flavoured fishes of the celebrated 

 Nile. It is altogether of a silvery tint, tinged on the up- 

 per parts and fins with olive brown. Individuals of a very 

 great size are sometimes found in Upper Egypt, and, ac- 

 cording to Paul Lucas, the species occasionally attains to 

 the weight of 300 pounds. Other kinds occur in India, 

 where they are highly esteemed as food. 



Genus Centhopomus, Lacepede. Pre-opercle den- 

 tated ; opercle obtuse, and unarmed. 



C. undecimalis, Cuv. is a large and excellent fish, known 

 along a great extent of the South American shores, where 

 it is much used as an article of consumption, under the 

 name of brocket or pike. In the form of its muzzle, and 

 general shape, it somewhat resembles that fresh-water fish, 

 and indeed it frequently ascends the great rivers to a con- 

 siderable height. A kind of caviar is made of its row. It 

 attains to the weight of twenty-five pounds. 



Genus Grammistes, Cuv. Opercle and pre-opercle 

 spined, but not dentated ; dorsal fins approximate ; scales 

 small, as if sunk beneath the epidermis ; anal fin without 

 apparent spine. 



Of this genus there seems to be only a single species, 

 G. orientalis, a small fish, native to the Indian seas. 



Genus Aspro, Cuv. Body elongated ; dorsals not ap- 

 proximate ; ventrals broad ; teeth small and close (en ve- 

 lours) ; head depressed ; muzzle reaching beyond the 

 mouth, and terminating in a rounded point. 



We are acquainted with only two species of this genus, 

 both of which are known in the fresh waters of the conti- 

 nent of Emope. We have represented A. vulgaris {Perca 

 asper, Linn.), on Plate CCXCVIII. fig. 3. It is a small 

 fish, rarely exceeding half a foot in length, common in the 

 Rhone, especially between Lyons and Vienne. 



We shall here pass over some limited genera, of which 

 the species are all foreign to Europe; such as Huko, 

 which contains the black bass, or black perch, of the 

 English inhabitants of the banks of tlie Huron ; Etelis, 

 NiPHON, Enoplosus, and Diploprion. The species of 

 the last two genera are remarkable as resembling Cha:- 

 todons in their general form, rather than percoid fishes. 



Genus Apogon, Lacepede. Body short, and, in com- 

 mon with the opercles, furnished with large scales which 

 are easily dislodged ; dorsal fins very separate ; a double 

 dentated border on the pre-opercle. 



The Apogon rex Mullorunt of Cuvier (JJullus imberhis, 

 Linn.) is a small Mediterranean species, of a red colour, 

 with a black spot on each side of the tail. It measures 

 about three inches in length. The foreign species seem 

 chiefly confined to the Indian seas, at least they have 

 not yet been observed in those of Africa or America. 

 A ievi have been met with along the shores of New Hol- 

 land, New Guinea, d-c. 



Genus PomatojMus, Risso. Resembles the preceding 

 in the separation of its dorsals, and its deciduous scales ; 

 but the pre-opercle is simply striated, the opercle emar- 

 ginate, and the eye enormously large. 



Percidje. 



The only known species is the P. telescopium, a fish of Acanthop. 

 excessive rarity. According to Risso, it scarcely ever tervgii. 

 leaves the bottom of the deep sea. He is aware of only 

 two specimens having been taken near Nice during a pe- 

 riod of thirty years. It measures about twenty inches in 

 length. The colours are brownish violet, with red and 

 blue reflections, the fins being brownish black. Whether 

 the prodigious dimensions of its eyes are in any way con- 

 nected with the depth and consequent darkness of its 

 abode, is a point which we have not at present any means 

 to determine. 



b. Some long and pointed teeth mixed with the close-set 

 kind. 



Genus Ambassis, Commerson. Resembles Apogon 

 in form ; the pre-opercle has a double dentation towards 

 the base, and the opercle terminates in a point ; but the 

 two dorsals are contiguous, and the anterior one is pre- 

 ceded by a spine. 



A peculiarity in the intestinal canal, that is, the want of 

 appendages to the pylorus, renders the present position 

 of this genus in the system somewhat doubtful. The 

 species are small fishes found in the fresh waters of In- 

 dia. One of them, A. Commersonii, Cuv. is abundant in 

 a small lake in the island of Bourbon, where it is prepar- 

 ed as the Europeans do anchovies. 



Genus Lucio-Pkrca, Cuv. Margin of the pre-oper- 

 cle with only a simple dentation, dorsal fins not approxi- 

 mate. 



This genus receives its name from the supposed com- 

 bination which certain of its species exhibit of the cha- 

 racters of the pike and perch, — that is, they possess the 

 fins and banded markings of the latter, with the elongat- 

 ed head and body, and acute lengthened teeth, of the 

 former. The best known species is the L. sandra of Cu- 

 vier {Perca lucioperca of Bloch), an excellent fish, found 

 in the lakes and rivers of Germany and the east of 

 Europe, but unknown in France, Italy, and England. It 

 sometimes attains to the size of a large salmon. Its 

 growth is remarkably rapid, and its flesh is said to be rich 

 and agreeable. Great quantities, preserved by salt or 

 smoke, are exported from Prussia and Silesia. 



B. Scfen branchial rays ; only one dorsal Jin. 



This subdivision is divisible, like the preceding, accord- 

 ing to the nature of the teeth, the spines and dentations 

 of the opercles, and other characters. 



a. TeetJi hooked or canine. - 



Genus Serranus, Cuv. Pre-opercle dentated, bony 

 opercle terminated by one or more points. 



This extensive genus has been recently partitioned 

 into several minor groups. Serranus proper contains 

 the Perca scriba of Linn.; so called on account of some 

 peculiar markings in the cheeks, resembling written cha- 

 racters.' Antiuus is represented by .^. «acer of Bloch, 

 a beautiful fish of the Mediterranean, of a ruby-red co- 

 lour, changing into gold and silver, with yellow bands 

 upon the cheeks. The third ray of the dorsal fin is 

 greatly elevated, and the ventrals are much prolonged. 

 This fish appears to have been known to ancient writers, 

 and was regarded as sacred by the divers for marine pro- 

 ductions, Irom the fond belief that no dangerous species 

 would approach its haunts. When an individual happen- 



" The smooth Serranus {S. nihrUla, Cuv. ; Perca chatmut. Couch) has been described as a British species. Mr Couch regards it 

 as a common fisli, well knottii to the Cornish fishermen. He mentions (Magazine uf Nat. Hist. vol. v. p. 19) that it keeps in the 

 neighbourhood of rocks not far from land ; and adds, as a singular fact, that the spasm which seizes it when taken never passes off. 

 Hence it is found long after death in a state of rigidity and contortion, with the fins preternaturaUv erect. Both Cuvier and Cavo- 

 lini have described this and other species of the genus" as actual hermaphrodites, — one portion of each lobe of roe consisting of true 

 ova, the other having every appearance cf a perlect milt. 



