FISH. 21 
tending beyond the membrane ; a second rudimentary one above it obtusely rounded. Small 
scales on the cheeks, preopercle, and opercle, but not on the snout, or between the eyes, or on 
the suborbital, or jaws, or branchial membrane, or interopercle. The scales on the body are 
rather small, finely ciliated on their edges, thin, and of an oblong form, cut square at the basal 
margin, with a fan of twelve or fifteen stria. Lateral line not very strongly marked, taking 
nearly a straight course from the upper part of the scapular to the caudal. No particular lines, 
markings, or pores, about the head, jaws, or between the eyes. Pectorals rounded ; two- 
thirds the length of the head. Ventrals exactly beneath them, a very little shorter, thick and 
fleshy, so that the rays can hardly be distinguished. Dorsal and anal similar to those of the 
P. Brasilianus ; the former has the spinous rays at first low, but the rest of the fin is of one 
uniform height, equalling a little less than half the depth: the latter commences under the sixth 
soft ray of the dorsal, and terminates in the same line. Caudal square, with rows of small 
scales between the rays for half their length : also a few minute scales at the base of the pectoral 
rays, but none on the other fins. 
Conour.—“ Above pale ‘ chestnut brown,’ so arranged as to form transverse bands on the sides ; 
sides, head, fins, with a black tinge; beneath irregularly white: under lip pink: eyes with 
pupil black, and iris yellow.” —D. Jn spirits; the back and upper half of the sides are brown, 
the lower half of the sides and belly pale, with twelve transverse dark fascia, the alternate 
ones broader than the others. The dorsal and anal appear to have been bluish, the tint 
increasing in intensity from the base upwards; but the former is edged above with a narrow 
white line just beneath the tips of the rays, which extends the whole length of the soft portion 
of the fin. The inside of the ventrals appears also to have been bluish ; but the pectorals are 
pale, or yellowish. Caudal brown like the back. 
Habitat, coast of Northern Patagonia. 
From the east coast of Patagonia, in Lat. 37° 26’. There can be no doubt of 
its belonging to the genus Pinguipes, with which it agrees in its very strong re- 
semblance to the Labride, as regards the head, lips, and teeth, and in its fleshy 
ventrals ; but there are very few teeth on the palatines, seeming to show that 
there is not much ground for separating this genus from Percis. In many of its 
characters, it resembles the P. Brasilianus of Cuvier, but it is decidedly distinct 
in others. It differs slightly in its proportions ; in the palatine and pharyngeal 
teeth; in the position of the ventrals, which are not at all jugular, but imme- 
diately beneath the pectorals; in the branchial membrane being more notched ; 
and in having two soft rays less in the anal. The colours also are different. 
This fish is so like a Labrus, that at first sight it might easily deceive a student. 
Nevertheless its vomerine teeth, spines on the opercle, and ciliated scales, point 
out its right family. At the same time no system can be considered natural, 
which does not admit Pinguipes as one of the connecting links between the Per- 
cide and Labride. 
