173 



MARBLED ARIUS. 



Anus oncina, 



PLATE IV. 



Warrau, Awaj'u. ScJiomh. Drawings, No. 49. 



" This fish was taken in the Rio Padauiri. The 

 dorsal and pectoral spines are serrated, cranium 

 hard, body without scales, but there is a bony pro- 

 cess on which the dorsal spines close, posterior to 

 the helmet or cranium. Lateral line straiglit, body 

 yellowish brown, variously spotted with black, and 

 not unlike the markings of the jaguar. The ventral 

 fin is placed nearer to the anal than the pectoral, 

 the second dorsal moderately large ; tail is slightly 

 forked, and has the upper lobe rather longer than 

 the lower. The eyes are small, placed near the 

 snout, iris brown ; nostrils near the snout ; teeth, a 

 series thickly set in both jaws, all fine. Surface of 

 the gill-covers slightly striated, edges smooth, open- 

 ing semilunar ; lives often three or four hours after 

 being taken from the water. It is taken by the 

 hook baited with worms on set-lines at nioht, and 

 is one of our best flavoured fish ; it is considered a 

 gi-eat luxury, and gi'ows to the length of ten inches. 

 Intestines form flexures, and have appendices at- 

 tached. 



