FISH. 65 
B. 4; D. 12/16; A. 2/12; C. 15, and 4 short; P. 21; V. 1/5. 
Length 3 inches. 
Cotour.—Not noticed in the recent state. Jn spirits, the whole fish, fins included, appears of a 
uniform dark brown. 
Habitat, Porto Praya, Cape Verde Islands. 
The only specimen of this new genus which exists in the collection was taken 
by Mr. Darwin off Quail Island, in the bay of Porto Praya. It is small, but 
probably full-sized, or nearly so; since the greater part of the species of 
Pomacentrus, to which genus it is so strongly allied, average about the same 
dimensions. Possibly some of the generic characters, which I have given above, 
may prove hereafter to be merely specific ; but till other species shall have been 
discovered, their exact value cannot be ascertained. 
Famity.—SCOMBRID&. 
Grenus—PAROPSIS. Jen. 
Corpus altum, rhomboideum, valde compressum, squamis minutissimis obtectum. Linea 
lateralis antice sursum paulo arcuata, per totam longitudinem inermis. Cauda 
lateribus haud carinatis. Dentes in utrdque maxilla uniseriati, tenuissimi, acuti ; 
in lingud, vomere, et palatinis, velutini brevissimi. Apertura branchialis amplissima, 
membrana decem-radiatad. Spine quinque libere loco pinne dorsalis prime ; spind 
minuta preeunte reclinatad antrorsum flexd. Dorsalis secunda, equé ac analis, 
continua, sine pinnulis falsis: ante analem spine due libere. Pectorales parve. 
Ventrales nulle. Caudalis profunde furcata, lobis acuminatis, subelongatis. 
This new genus belongs to that section of the Scombride characterized by 
having a number of short free spines, instead of a first dorsal fin. It is most 
nearly allied to Lichia, especially to the L. glaucus, which it resembles in general 
form, as well as in many of its particular characters. It has the same reclined 
spine in front of those which represent the first dorsal, and the same two free 
spines in front of the anal; also the same form of opercle ; the same deeply- 
forked caudal, and small pectorals. But it may be at once distinguished from 
that genus by the absence of ventrals, of which there is not the least trace: the 
body is also deeper, rhomboidal rather than oval, and more compressed. In all 
these respects it agrees better with Stromateus, which would seem particularly to 
meet it in those species, such as the S. candidus and S. securifer, which are 
represented by Cuvier and Valenciennes as having a number of minute truncated 
K 
