110 



THE RUBY-COLOURED ETELIS. 



Etelis carbunculus. Cuv. et VAL. 

 PLATE VII. 



JL'eielis, Cuv. et Valen. Hist. Nat. des Poissons, ii. p. 127 

 B. 7; D. 9 1.11 j A. 3.8; C. 17; P. 16 ; V 1.8; 



THIS genus is also formed from a single specimen, 

 taken by M. Desumier near the Sechelle Islands, 

 and from the beauty of its colouring, which Cuvier 

 compares with the tints of the ruby, has received 

 the specific name of Carbunculus. It differs from 

 the Perches in possessing strong and long teeth, 

 by which it approaches to the structure of Lucio- 

 perca, but other parts of the teething here also 

 differ ; the opercle is terminated by two spines. 



The eye of this splendid fish is a conspicuous 

 object, and is of a golden orange. The scaling 

 is large and marked, and the whole ground colour 

 of the fish is bright ruby red, relieved by stripes 

 of golden yellow, which run along the ridges of 

 the scales. The length of M. Desumier's speci- 

 men was about eleven inches. 



