108 fARU STROMAT. 



nearly strait : the mouth is small, the tongue large 

 and smooth; in both jaws is a row of minute teeth, 

 and in the palate are two rough bones; the eyes- 

 are small, placed near the mouth, and have silvery 

 irides : the skin is covered with very minute scales : 

 the pectoral fins are rather small, with very nume- 

 rous rays: the dorsal fin commences at about a 

 third part of the length of the whole animal from 

 the head, and is continued almost to the beginning 

 of the tail : it is of a thickish nature, being covered 

 by the common skin : the tail is considerably forked : 

 the vent-fin resembles the dorsal, but commences 

 at a greater distance from the head. This fish is 

 said to be not uncommon in some parts of the Me- 

 diterranean, and is known to the modern Romans 

 by the name of Fiatola. 



PARU STROMAT. 



Stromateus Paru. S. dor so aureo, abdomine argenteo. Lin, 



Syst. Nat. Gmel p. 1148. 



Stromat with gold-coloured back and silvery abdomen. 

 Stromateus striis carens. Block. 5. p. 63. t. 160. 



THIS, which is a native of the South-American 

 seas, is of a bright gold-colour on the upper parts, 

 which gradually sinks into bright silver on the 

 lower : the whole body is covered with small, tender 

 scales, which are easily detached from the skin : the 

 fins themselves are also scaly : the head is of 

 moderate size, and brownish in front ; the jaws of 

 equal length, and armed with numerous sharp- 



