480 VARIEGATED GOMPHOSUS. 



bear : the upper jaw is somewhat extensile, and 

 rather longer than the lower : each jaw is com- 

 posed of a bone furnished with a single row of 

 very small and close-set teeth, and the two front 

 teeth in the upper jaw are larger than the rest : the 

 inside of the mouth is smooth and blue : the head 

 and gill-covers are plain : the rest of the body 

 covered with large scales : the fins are of moderate 

 size, and the tail crescent-shaped : the lateral line 

 follows the flexure of the back as far as the dorsal 

 fin, and from thence bending downwards runs strait 

 to the tail : throughout its whole course it is 

 marked with small streaks resembling Chinese cha- 

 racters. Native of the Indian seas. 



VARIEGATED GOMPHOSUS. 



Gomphosus Variegatus. G. riibroflavo ccrrulcoque IY/HMV. 

 Gomphose variegated with red, yellow, and blue. 

 Le Gomphose vari6. Ccpede. 3. p. 104. 



THIS, which is smaller than the former, was ob- 

 served by Commerson about the coasts of Otaheitee, 

 and is a very beautiful fish, exhibiting an elegant 

 mixture of red, yellow, and blue, in which the yellow 

 predominates, though the blue is sufficient to shew 

 its alliance to the preceding species. 



