18S 



ICHTHYOLOGY. 



Acanthop. lifera, and it was with a feeling of doubt that Cuvier 

 terygii. placed it where it now stands. It is not easy to conceive 

 Scombe- j|^g ^gg pf jjg dorsal and anal fins, so enormouslj' large in 

 "'"'*■ proportion to the size of the body. Pallas indeed ima- 

 gined that they might serve to sustain it in the air ; but 

 in that case the fish must fly, as a flounder swims, upon 

 its side. The species are unfortunately so rare, that it 

 may be long before an opportunity occurs of throwing 

 any liglit upon the subject. The only known specimen 

 of Pt. ocellatus, Cuv. was taken entire from the stomach of 

 a bonito in the Straits of Mosambique. The species re- 

 presented in this work (See Plate CCCIII. fig 3) was 

 brought to Europe by MM. Quoy and Gaymard, but we 

 know not from what locality. 



Genus Stromateos, Linn. Distinguished among the 

 Scoraberidoe by the want of the ventral fins, and by a 

 single dorsal, the spiny rays of which, few in number, are 

 concealed in its anterior margin. The vertical fins are 

 covered by scales, as among the Squammipennes. 



The Mediterranean produces a beautiful species {St. 

 fialola, Linn.), remarkable for its spots and broken bands of 

 gold upon a lead-coloured ground. The black pomfret of 

 India, a delicious fish for table uses, pertains to this genus. 

 It is the St. niger of Bloch. According to Russel, it is 

 abundant at Vizagapatam during the months of March 

 and April, and vanishes and re-appears alternately every 

 two or three days. It requires to be eaten immediately 

 after capture. A singular circumstance in the geographi- 

 cal history of this genus is, that although the species 

 seem common along a great extent of Indian coast, and 

 spread as far as China, none is known at the Isle of France, 

 nor in any part of the Indian Archipelago. 



Genus Rhombus,' Lacep. Extremity of the pelvis 

 forming, anterior to tiie anus, a small pointed and cutting 

 blade, which resembles a vestige of the ventral fins. 



As an example, we may mention the Harvest fish of New 

 York, an excellent article for the table. It is the Rh. 

 longipinnis of Cuvier, erroneously placed by Linnaeus 

 among the Chaetodons. 



The genus Luvarus of Rafinesque resembles the pre- 

 ceding. There is only one species distinctly known 

 {L. imperialis), a fish of fine flavour, but extremely rare. 

 It measures five feet in length ; the whole body is of a 

 reddish silvery colour, more obscure upon the back. It 

 was dashed ashore near Solanto, in Sicily.* A species 

 unknown to the fishermen was taken in 1826, at Isle-de- 

 Re, which Cuvier regards as referrible to this genus. The 

 genus Sbserinus, Cuv. possesses the characters of Stro- 

 mateus, but very small ventrals are perceptible, or at 

 least the vestiges of these organs are apparent. The only 

 known species is S. Rondeletii, a small fish of the Medi- 

 terranean. 



Gekus Kurtus, Bloch. Allied to Rhombus, but differs 

 in the dorsal fin being shorter, and the ventrals more 

 developed. The scales are so fine as to be imperceptible 

 in the dried state. There are seven branchial rays. The 

 pelvis shows a spine between the ventrals, and several 

 small cutting blades are visible anterior to the dorsal fin. 



at the base of which is a spine directed horizontally for- Acanthop. 

 wards. tervgii. 



The skeleton in this genus presents a striking pecu- Scombe- 

 liarity in the ribs, which are dilated, convex, and in the ^_,_ " / 

 form of rings which come in contact with each other, — 

 thus enclosing a conical empty space, which is prolonged 

 beneath the tail, in the inferior rings of the vertebra;, into 

 a long thin tube enclosing the swimming bladder. The 

 species inhabit the Indian seas, and are few in number. 

 K. cornutiis, called somdrum-hara-moddee at Vizagapatam, 

 and which Cuvier regards as the male of K. Blochii, La- 

 copede, is an excellent eating fish, remarkable for being 

 almost transparent in a state of freshness. 



We shall conclude our exposition of the Scomberidae 

 by a brief notice of the genus Zeus, Linn, from which 

 some of the preceding genera, such as GaUychtis, Argy- 

 reyosus, &c. have already been detached. In its more 

 restricted form it contains fishes of a compressed body, 

 protractile mouth covered by small scales, with teeth 

 feeble and few in number. It is further divisible as 

 follows : 



Genus Zeus, Cuv. Dorsal fin emarginate, its spines 

 accompanied by long slips of the membrane; a series of 

 forked spines along the base of the dorsal and anal fins. 



The type of the genus is Zeits faber, commonly called 

 the Dory (Plate CCCIII. fig. 5), probably from the French 

 term doree, in allusion to the golden tints of its body.^ Its 

 surface has at the same time a smoked appearance, on 

 which account the French name \lforgeron, a word which 

 corresponds to the Latin trivial name oi faber, or black- 

 smith. It is also called \hefish of St Peter, from an an- 

 cient traditionary belief that it was from the mouth of 

 this species that the apostle extracted the tribute-money, 

 and the black spot on either side of its body is supposed 

 ta be a record of its capture at that time.'' The dory is 

 a fish greatly esteemed for the table. It occurs both in 

 the Mediterranean Sea, and along the oceanic coasts of 

 Europe. According to Pennant, the largest are found in 

 the Bay of Biscay. Willughby alludes to it as common 

 in his day on the shores of Cornwall ; and it is still taken 

 both there and along the Devonshire coast, occasionally 

 even in profusion. Mr Couch, as quoted by Mr Yarrell, 

 considers the dory rather as a wandering than a migra- 

 tory fish, and as regulated in a great measure by the move- 

 ments of the smaller kinds on which it preys. Wlien the 

 pilchards approach the shore, it is frequently taken in 

 considerable numbers. In the autumn of 1829, more than 

 sixty were hauled on shore at once in a net, some of them 

 of large size, and yet the whole were sold together for 

 nine shillings. The largest specimens of the London 

 market weigh from ten to twelve pounds, but the aver- 

 age weight is scarcely more than five. The dory is a 

 bold, voracious species, preying greedily upon the more 

 timid kinds, and pouncing readily upon all sorts of bait. 

 Its flesh was highly esteemed in the time of Pliny. Co- 

 lumella, who was a native of Cadiz (where it was regard- 

 ed as the best of fishes), has recorded that it had been 

 long known by the name of Zeus — a designation which in 



' In the second edition of the Regne Animal, this genus bears the name of Peprilus ; Cuvier not having been at that time 

 aware that it had been previously designated by Lacepede under the name of Rhombus. We deem the choice of the latter name 

 equally unfortunate, seeing that it had been previously applied generically to that group of the Pleuronectidfe called Turhots. But 

 we leiivL> it to more influential authors to propose a second change. 



- Rafinesque, Caratteri di alcuni ntiovi pener'i, &c. dclla Sicilia, p. 22. 



' A variety of derivations, however, have been assigned to the English name. In addition to the one above alluded to, we 

 shall merely mention the following : St Christopher, while wading through an arm of the sea, and bearing the infant Saviour, is 

 said to have caught a dory, and to have impressed its sides with the two peculiar marks, as a perpetual record of the fact. The 

 name was therefore said to be from the French adoric, worshipped, as something unusually sacred. The designation of John Dory 

 is in all probability derived from the French jauiie dorie, in allusion to the tints of a golden i/cllow hue with which it is adorned. 

 Some, however, refer it (and again in connection with St Peter) to the Italian term janifoir, or door-keeper, by which it seems the 

 species is known to the fishermen of the Adriatic. 



* The common haddock also bears a share in this tradition. 



