ORTHAGORISCUS] PISCES (OSSEI) GYMNODONTES. 491 



margin slightly rounded, very short, but its depth (or breadth, measured 

 vertically) nearly equalling that of the body, extending from the dorsal 

 to the anal, with both of which fins it is connected: pectorals small, 

 rounded, attached horizontally: ventrals wanting. 



D. 17; A. 16; C. 14; P. 13*. 



(Colours.) Back dusky gray ; belly and sides silvery. 



Rare in the British seas, but has been captured, in different instances, 

 upon various parts of the coast. Attains to an enormous size ; sometimes 

 weighing as much as four hundred or five hundred pounds. Generally 

 distributed over the European seas. According to Bloch, occasionally 

 reposes on one side, in which situation, when surprised, it is easily taken. 

 Flesh bad, but yielding a great deal of oil. 



180. O. oblongus, Schneid. (Oblong Sun-Fish.) 

 Length more than twice the depth of the body : skin 

 smooth. 



O. truncatus, Flem. Brit. An. p. 175. Jen. Cat. of Brit. Vert. An. 

 31. sp. 181. Tetrodon truncatus, Gmel. Linn. torn. i. part iii. 

 p. 1448. Don. Brit. Fish. vol. n. pi. 41. Cephalus oblongus, 

 Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. v. part ii. p. 439. pi. 176. Turt. Brit. Faun. 

 p. 116. Sun-Fish from Mount's Bay, Borl. Cornw. p. 268. pi. 26. 

 f. 7. Oblong Diodon, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 129. pi. 19. 

 Oblong Tetrodon, Id. (Edit. 1812.) vol. in. p. 170. pi. 22. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) Represented by authors as closely resembling the 

 last species, excepting in its more oblong and elongated shape, the entire 

 length being more than twice (according to Turton, nearly three times) 

 the depth of the body : skin smooth : branchial aperture funulate. The 

 number of fin-rays, according to Donovan, stands thus : 



D. 12; A. 15; C. 17; P. 14. 



(Colours.) "Back dusky, with some variegations; abdomen silvery; be- 

 tween the eyes and the pectoral fins a few dusky streaks pointing down- 

 wards." SHAW. 



Apparently more rare in the British seas than the last species. First 

 noticed by Borlase, who has figured a specimen from Mount's Bay in 

 Cornwall. The same author speaks of another taken at Plymouth in 

 1 734, which weighed five hundred pounds. Since then other individuals 

 have occasionally been met with. In the stomach of one, obtained by 

 Donovan from the Bristol Channel, there were found fragments of testa- 

 ceous and crustaceous animals. Obs. Both this and the 0. Mola have a 

 bright glistening appearance when taken fresh out of the water, to which 

 circumstance is to be attributed their English name of Sun-Fish. At 

 night they are said to be phosphorescent. 



* The above fin-ray formula is from Bloch. 



