398 PISCES (OSSEI) ACANTHOPT. [LABRUS. 



LENGTH. From eight to ten inches. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) General form resembling that of the species in 

 the first section of the first sub-genus : greatest depth contained a very 

 little more than three times in the entire length: thickness twice 

 and a half in the depth : dorsal line falling very regularly, continuous 

 with the profile ; no depression at the nape : head contained three times 

 and a half in the whole length: jaws equal; teeth prominent, of mode- 

 rate size, the middle anterior ones longest, about thirteen above and 

 fifteen below, with a secondary but imperfect row of smaller ones behind 

 in the upper jaw : eyes moderate, rather high up ; their distance from 

 the end of the snout equalling twice their diameter ; the space between 

 them a little concave, equal to the same : ascending margin of the pre- 

 opercle sharply denticulated, but the denticulations not so much deve- 

 loped as in the next species; nearly vertical, and making a right angle 

 with the basal margin : opercle large ; the margin entire, rounded below, 

 emarginated above : lateral line following the curvature of the back at 

 one-fourth of the depth, bending suddenly downwards opposite the termi- 

 nation of the dorsal fin : scales very large ; number in the lateral line 

 thirty-six : dorsal commencing in a line with the pectorals, and posterior 

 angle of the opercle ; soft portion rounded, higher than the spinous : 

 anal commencing a little anterior to the soft portion of the dorsal, but 

 terminating in a line with that fin : caudal rounded, scaly at the base, 

 but with no rows of scales between the rays : pectorals and ventrals 

 much as in the other species of this genus : 



B. 5; D. 16/9; A. 3/10; C. 13, and 2 short; P. 14; V. 1/5. 



(Colours.) Back, and upper part of the sides above the lateral line, 

 marked with alternate longitudinal lines of dull red and dusky blue ; 

 sides beneath the lateral line bluish green, spotted with dull red; 

 abdomen the same, but paler: upper part of the head deep brownish 

 red, with undulating lines of bright azure-blue ; cheeks and gill-covers 

 bluish green with longitudinal lines of red; throat and beneath the 

 pectorals paler, lined with red : irides bluish green, with an inner circle 

 of red : dorsal, caudal, anal and ventral fins, bluish green, spotted and 

 lined with red: pectorals pale without spots. 



Found on many parts of the coast, and perhaps the most common of all 

 the British species belonging to this family. Chiefly frequents deep 

 water where the bottom is rocky, and is often taken in the prawn-pots. 

 Feeds principally on Crustacea. Spawns in April. It is the Common 

 Wrasse of Couch*, and the Old Wife of some English authors. Pennant 

 calls it Ancient Wrasse, but it must not be confounded with the Ancient 

 Wrasse of Donovan, which is clearly the L. maculatus of this work. 



76. L. Cornubicus, Gmel. (Goldsinny.) Depth con- 

 siderably less than one-third of the length : denticulations 

 of the preopercle very much developed : a conspicuous black 

 spot on each side of the tail. 



L. Cornubius, Gmel. Linn. torn. i. part iii. p. 1297. Don. Brit. 

 Fish. vol. in. pi. 72. Turt. Brit. Faun. p. 99. Goldsinny, Ray, 

 Syn. Pise. p. 163. fig. 3. Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 251. pi. 47. 



* Linn. Trans, vol. xiv. p. 80. 



