298 



ICHTHYOLOGY. 



Classifica- being connected by membrane. Villiform teeth on the jaws, vomer, 

 and palatines. Ten species. 



Genus XXXIV. Sekiolella, Guichen. Body elongated, com- 

 pressed ; covered with very delicate scales. Head small, compressi d. 

 Jaw-teeth acute, compressed, moderately curved, distant, uniserial ; 

 vomerine teeth villiform ; palatines smooth, edentate. Preoper- 

 culum ciliated. Two free spines before the anal. Two dorsals, the 

 anterior one short, lower, spinous, but without a reclining spine in 

 front ; the second one extending far on the back ; no spurious fins ; 

 ventrals thoracic. Lateral line not keeled. Branchiostegals six. 

 Valparaiso, Juan Fernandez. 



Genus XXX\\ Temnodon, Cuv. Seriolce, with thin lanceolate 

 trenchant teeth, like those of C'uhium, in the outer row ; those on 

 the vomer and palatines villiform. Body oblong. Small first 

 dorsal ; the two spines before the anal almost hidden. One species. 



Genus XXXVl. Lactarius, Cuv. Differs in its dentition from 

 Seriola iu having two or four long canines among the villiform 

 bands in front of the jaws. Vomer, palatines, and tongue rough. 

 >'o free spines before the anal ; two dorsals and an unarmed lateral 

 line. 



Genus XXXVII. Nomeus, Cuv. Difi'ers from Seriola in having 

 a smaller mouth. Teeth on the jaws curved, uniserial, widely set. 

 IS'o villiform bands behind. Ventrals large, exceeding considerably 

 those of Seriola ; no detached finlets. One species. 



Genus XXXVIII. Gasterochisma, Rich. So closely allied to 

 Komeus that it is placed after it, though the detachment of the pos- 

 terior rays of the second dorsal and anal would seem to send it to a 

 different group, but the membrane of these fins is so delicate that 

 it disappears in handling, and the normal condition may be that of 

 continuous fins. Form of the body exactly that of a common 

 Mackerel, but the scales are larger. .Snout more pointed, and 

 mouth larger than in Nomeus. No vestige of a crest or keel on the 

 tail. Branchiostegals five. Ventrals one spine and five jointed 

 rays ; two dorsals contiguous, the first one higher than the second 

 and rounded in outline ; pectorals small ; ventrals extremely large, 

 folding into a deep slit on the edge of the belly, which is lined with 

 scaleless integument. The anus, opening at the end of a short very 

 slender tube, is included in this sheath. Teeth on the jaws, subu- 

 late, slightly curved, widely set in a single row ; vomerine and 

 palatine teeth more delicate and more irregularly placed. No de- 

 tached spines before the anal ; ventrals black, as in Nomeus. One 

 species. New Zealand. 



Genus XXXIX. Nauclerus, Cuv. Resembling A'aiicraJM, but 

 wanting the lateral keelson the tail, and with a preopercular spine. 



Genus XL. Porthmeus, Cuv. Differs from Nauclerus in hav- 

 ing a single dorsal, or rather in the spinous dorsal being ab.sent, 

 and in the whole edge of the preoperculum being denticulated ; in 

 the roughness of the mastoid hone, and in the presence of super- 

 orhital crests. Teeth on the vomer and palatines as in the preced- 

 ing allies of Seriola. One species. 



Genus XLI. Psenes, Cuv. Differs from SeWote and the groups 

 which follow it, in having no teeth on the vomer or palate. Teeth 

 on the jaws uniserial, short, thickish, standing widely apart, 

 curved. Vertical fins partially scaly. Branchiostegals six. Two 

 dorsals. Snout formed like that of Trachinotus. Five species. 



(6.) One dorsal occupying most of the hach, its rays Jlcxihle. 

 Vertical fins 'partially scaly. Ventrals thoracic. Pa- 

 latine teeth. 



Genus XLII. Cortph.ena, Linn. Thoracic Scomberoids, hav- 

 ing elongated compressed bodies covered with small scales. Head 

 trenchant above. Dorsal long, single, supported by flexible rays, 

 most of which are not jointed. Head greatly elevated ; facial pro- 

 file convexly curved in the arc of a circle, descending rapidly. 

 Eyes low. Slouth large. Teeth on the jaws and palatines card-like. 

 Fifteen species. 



Genus XLIII. Lampugus, Cuv. General form and dentition 

 that of Coryph(ena, but the head is oblong ; forehead lower ; the 

 eyes of middle height. The dorsal low and equal. Six species. 



Genus XLIV. Centrolophus, Lacep. Coruphccnce less elon- 

 gated than Lampufjus ,■ a space between the nape and the dorsal ; and 

 no teeth on tlie palate. Five species. 



Genus XLV. Astrodermus, Bonell. Allied to Coryphcena, 

 Scomber, and Zeus. Head elevated and trenchant. .Mouth small, 

 i^owr Branchiostegals. Very small ventrals ; scales radiating like 

 stars. One species. 



Genus XLVI. Pteraclis, Cuv. Difi'ers from the general cha- 

 racter of the family in having large scales, a low forehead, high 

 dorsal, ventrals of few rays, and separated pancreatic CBeca. The 

 true position of the genus is still undecided. Body greatly com- 

 pressed, with a long dorsal like that of Coryphmna, but so high that, 

 in conjunction with the anal, it renders the fish higher than it is 

 long. Ventrals slender, jugular. Scales much like those of Brama, 



but they do not extend to the branchiostegal membrane. Branch! Classifica- 

 ostegals seven. Four species. tion — 



Genus XLVII. Stromateus, Linn., Bloch. No ventrals; a Acanthop- 

 single dorsal with its spinous rays concealed in its anterior edge ; terous 

 vertical fins scaly. Scales small, lost in the skin. Pancreatic casca Fishes, 

 scomberoid. Eleven species. ^ ^ j 



Genus XLVIII. Peprilus, Cuv., Rtg. An. (Rhombus, Lacep.) ^ 



American Stromatei, distinguished by the projection of the pointed 

 and trenchant-edged pubic bones, thus forming a link with Psettus. 

 Five species. 



Genus XLIX. Luvarus, Rafin. Badly characterized. One 

 species, said to have a small, flat, moveable appendix betore the anus, 

 serving as a kind of operculum. This distinguishes it from Stro- 

 ^nateus. 



Genus L. Seserinus, Cuv. Viif^i^TS from Stromateus utiA Pepri- 

 lus in having two very small ventrals, but has the internal struc- 

 ture of Stromateus. The ventrals composed of a spine and five soft 

 rays. Branchiostegals six. 



Genus LI. Kurtus, Bloch. Comes near Peprilus, from which 

 the genus differs in having a shorter dorsal and well developed ju- 

 gular ventrals. A long anal ; and scales so fine as to become per- 

 ceptible only by drying the skin. No scales on the fins. Branchi- 

 ostegals seven. Pubic bones emitting a spine between the ventrals. 

 Small trenchant plates before the dor-^al, with a couchant spine at 

 their base. Ribs dilated, convex, and forming rings which inclose 

 the air-bladder in a tube that is prolonged under the vertebrae of 

 the tail. Body high anteriorly, tapering posteriorly. One spe- 



DORY FAMILY. 



M. Valenciennes described tliis group as the fifth great 

 tribe of Scomberoids, distinguished from the other four by 

 its members having all protractile mouths. He assigns as 

 reasons for so placing them, that they are connected to the 

 rest of the Scomberoids by many anatomical characters 

 which they possess in common, by the similarity of their 

 dermal constitution, and general family likeness. The 

 Zeides, he says, have two dorsals, and some other osteologi- 

 cal characters analogous to those of the Percoids ; but the 

 nature of their integuments, and the shields which arm their 

 sides, ally them incontestably to the Scomberoids having a 

 cuirassed lateral line. Lampris, which has also a protrac- 

 tile mouth, has viscera similar to those of Thymius, and thus 

 links the group closely to the rest of the Scomberoids. But 

 he adds that the group is a natural one, which has relations 

 to several others not less natm-al, and he divides it into two 

 sections, — one in which the dorsal is so deeply divided as 

 to appear like two ; and a second in which the dorsal is 

 continuous or single. 



The best known example of the family, and one common 

 enough on our western coasts, is the Zeus faher, or John 

 Dory of Billingsgate. This was for long neglected in the 

 London market, until Quin, whose gastronomic acquirements 

 were well known, brought it into a repute which it still re- 

 tains with city men ; chiefly, we suspect, on account of the 

 character which he gave it, for it is by no means a fish that 

 adorns a table by its handsome aspect. The names of this 

 fish, in the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean, have re- 

 lation to the resemblance which its dorsals bear to a cock's- 

 comb. In some places it is called " Sea-thicken," and in 

 Gascony Jau, which signifies cock. In Spain, Languedoc, 

 and Sardinia, it has the analogous names of Gal, Gallo, and 

 Gadda. Dorij, or Doric, by which it is known on both sides 

 of the British Channel, refers evidently to its yellow colour ; 

 and we suspect that the John which is prefixed in England 

 is not Jaune, which would be merely a repetition of Doree, 

 but a corruption of the Gascon Jau, and, in fact, that it means 

 the Gilt-Cock of the sea. The round black spot on the side 

 has obtained ibr it, in common with the Haddock, the repu- 

 tation of being the fish from which St Peter took the piece 

 of money. In some of the Mediterranean ports it is called 

 St Christopher's fish; and tlie modern Greeks call it Christo- 

 psaro, or Christ's fish, and hang it up in their churches. At 

 the Canaries it is called Gallo san Pedro (St Peter's Cock). 



