LABRUS.] PISCES (OSSEI) ACANTHOPT. 391 



GEN. 33. LABRUS, Linn. 



(1. LABRUS, Cuv.) 

 * Dorsal with twenty or twenty-one spinous rays. 



68. L. maculatus, Bloch. (Ballan Wrasse.) Ascend- 

 ing margin of the preopercle oblique : soft portion of the 

 dorsal more than twice the height of the spinous : dorsal 

 and anal terminating nearly in the same line. 



L. maculatus, Bloch, Ichth. pi. 294. L. Tinea, Shaw, Nat. Misc. 

 vol. xi. pi. 426. Id. Gen. Zool. vol. iv. p. 499. pi. 72. Don. Brit. 

 Fish. vol. iv. pi. 83. L. Balanus, Flem. Brit. An. p. 209. Ballan 

 Wrasse, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 246. pi. 44. Id. (Edit. 1812.) 

 vol. in. p. 334. pi. 55. Yarr. Brit. Fish. vol. i. p. 275. La Vieille 

 tachetee, Cuv. Reg. An. torn. n. p. 255. 



LENGTH. From twelve to eighteen inches. 



DE SCRIPT. (Form.) Oblong-oval, narrowing at the tail beyond the 

 termination of the dorsal and anal fins: body thick and bulky: depth 

 one-fourth of the entire length : back not much elevated ; dorsal line 

 nearly straight from the commencement of the dorsal fin backwards, 

 but in advance of that point falling gradually to the snout; no depres- 

 sion at the nape : head one-fourth of the whole length, caudal excluded : 

 snout short and conical : mouth very protractile ; lips double, the anterior 

 pair thick and fleshy, and partially reflexed, shewing the teeth : jaws 

 equal : teeth rather small, conical, the anterior ones longest, amounting 

 to about eighteen in each jaw : distance from the eye to the end of the 

 snout equalling twice the diameter of the eye ; space between the eyes 

 convex, without any depression or sulcus, equalling two diameters 

 and a half: preopercle with the ascending margin inclined, this last 

 forming with the basal margin an obtuse angle: lateral line bending 

 a little downwards beneath the termination of the dorsal fin; its 

 previous course nearly straight at one-third of the depth : dorsal com- 

 mencing at a distance from the end of the snout equalling one-fourth of 

 the entire length ; space occupied by the fin nearly equalling half the 

 entire length ; spinous portion three-fourths of the whole, the height of 

 this part one-fourth of the depth of the body; soft portion more than 

 twice the height of the spinous : anal commencing in a line with the soft 

 portion of the dorsal, and terminating also nearly in the same line with 

 that fin; first three rays spinous, stronger than the dorsal spines, shorter 

 than the soft rays which follow : caudal slightly rounded; its base scaly, 

 heyond which are rows of scales between the rays for one-fourth of their 

 length : pectorals rounded, two-thirds the length of the head : ventrals a 

 little shorter : all the fins very stout ; the membranes enveloping the rays 

 thick and fleshy : 



D. 20/11; A. 3/9; C. 13; P. 15 ; V. 1/5. 



(Colours.) Back and sides bluish green, becoming paler on the belly; all 

 the scales margined with orange-red : head and cheeks bluish green, reti- 

 culated with orange-red lines ; lips flesh-colour ; irides bluish %r een : all 

 the fins greenish blue, with a few scattered red spots ; the dorsal with 

 spots along the base only ; the blue on the caudal passing into dusky at 

 the tip. 



