PISCES 191 
projects, the mandible is twice as long as the eye, and is produced 
at its lower angle; gill openings very large, gills three and a half, 
no opening behind the last: gill-rakers moderate, fifteen 
on the first arch, pseudobranchiw small, edge of preopercle 
long and oblique, opercular bones thin. 
Body short, deep, elevated and compressed, forming, with 
the head, a rhomboid; the anterior profile, from the snout to the 
dorsal spines straight, the posterior one, from the anal spines 
to the caudal peduncle nearly so; the upper posterior and the 
lower anterior profiles curved, especially the latter, the edge of 
which, though narrow is flat, and almost uniformly so. 
Teeth.—The teeth are minute, in a single row in each Jaw, a 
small patch on the vomer. 
Fins.—The dorsal commences slightly in advance of a point 
midway between the end of the snout and the root of the caudal 
peduncle: the spines are short and slender, the first being minute, 
the second is the highest, being shghtly longer than the eye: the 
others regularly decrease in height; they do not terminate in 
filaments: the rays are short anteriorly, and increase to behind 
the middle of the fin, where they are highest: the two anal spines 
are very short and curved, and are situated beneath the last 
dorsal spine; the soft rays are similar to those of the dorsal, but 
the base of the fin extends a little further posteriorly: the 
pectoral is short, its third or longest ray being one-seventh longer 
than the eye, its margin is rounded and its base narrow: the 
ventrals are inserted behind the pectorals, and can be received 
into a deep groove which extends from their base to that of 
the first anal spine: the ventral spine is straight and weak, 
its length slightly more than the diameter of the eye, its rays 
are longer: caudal slightly emarginate, its peduncle narrow, and 
half the length of the fin. 
Scales—AIl the seales are cycloid. those above being slightly 
roughened, they are strongly adherent, and the exposed portion 
is four times as deep as broad, the scales on the head are con- 
fined to the cheeks, which are deep and triangular; the bases 
of the vertical fins are sheathed in two rows of enlarged scales, 
but there are no bony plates. The lateral line arises abruptly 
above the opercle thence curves backwards, but does not run 
quite concurrently with the back, its hinder half being slightly 
concave above. 
Colours.—Silvery, upper portion from eye to caudal brown, 
membrane of dorsal spines, distal half of ventral rays and end 
of caudal black: all other fins colourless. 
Length.—202 mm. 
