FISHES PERCIDAE BRYTTUS ALBULUS. 19 



BRYTIUS, Cuv. & Yal. 



Gen. Char. — Body sub-elliptical, compressed. Head moderate ; mouth small ; jaws equal. Velvet-like teeth on the jaws, 

 front of vomer, and palatine bones. Tongue smooth. Cheeks and opercular apparatus scaly. Edge of preopercle smooth 

 and entire. Branchial apertures continuous under the throat. Spinous portion of dorsal fin longer than the soft, and nearly 

 as high, with scarcely any depression between the two. Three anal spines. Insertion of ventral fins, situated posteriorly to 

 the base of the pectorals. Caudal fin posteriorly emarginated. Scales well developed. 



SvN. — Brytlus, Cov & Val. Hist. nat. des Poiss. VII, 1831, 461. — Storek, Synops. 1846, 43. 



" It is impossible," says Cuvier, " to find a greater resemblance than that observed between 

 these fishes [Brytlus) and the Pomotis. The small narrow band of velvet-like teeth which 

 exists along the external edge of each palatine bone is the only character by which they may 

 be distinguished." 



Now the same thing is almost true with reference to CalUurus, and at first we were at a loss 

 to draw a limit between the latter and Bryttus. Upon comparing, however, the various species 

 which have come under our notice, we have traced a few characters which may be regarded as 

 generical features in Bryttus. Thus, the general shape of the body resembles Pomotis most, being 

 rather sub-elliptical and deep, than elongated. The mouth is smaller than in CalUurus, and the 

 jaws equal, as in Pomotis, likewise. The spinous portion of the dorsal fin is more elevated than 

 in CalUurus, and again resembling that of Pom,otis. So we may truly say that the species of 

 Bryttus are Pomotis j^rovided with a narrow band of palatine teeth. 



The geographic range of this genus is more restricted yet than that of Pomotis, its species, so 

 far, having only been found in the south and southwestern portions of the area inhabited by 

 the Pomotis. 



1. BRYTTUS ALBULUS, Grd. 



Plate VI, Figs. 1—4. 



Spec. Char. — Body sub-elliptical, rather contracted and deep. Nape convex, and snout sub-conical. Posterior extremity 

 of maxillary extending to the anterior rim of the orbit. Insertion of ventrals situated posteriorly to the base of the 

 pectorals and the anterior margin of the dorsal ; their tips overlapping the vent. Scales rather large. Pale reddish 

 brown, lighter beneath than above. Fins greyish olive ; dorsal with a black patch. 



Stn. — Bryttus aWulus, Gkd. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. November, 1857. 



The body is very much compressed ; the head entering three times and a half in the total 

 length, whilst the greatest depth enters in the same length twice and a half time. The eye is 

 well developed, sub-circular, its diameter being contained about four times in the length of the 

 side of the head. The posterior extremity of the maxillary reaches a vertical line intersecting 

 the anterior rim of the orbit. The tips of the posterior rays of the anal project a little beyond 

 those of the dorsal ; the posterior extremity of the caudal being but slightly emarginated. 

 The second and third anal spines are stout and deep ; the first is short and slender. The tips 

 of the ventrals do not extend to the anterior margin of the anal, though overlapping the vent, 

 which is situated somewhat in advance of the latter. The posterior extremity of the pectoral 

 fins does not extend as far back as that of the ventrals. 



Br. V: V ; D X, 11 ; A III, 10 ; C 4, 1, 8, T, 1, 3 ; V I, 5 ; P 13. 



The scales are well developed, and deeper than long ; twenty-three rows of them may be 

 counted upon the line of greatest depth ; sixteen below, and six above the lateral line. On the 

 cheeks the scales are smaller than on ihe opercle. Rudimentary scales may be observed upon 

 the caudal fin and soft portion of the dorsal and anal. 



