SCIENIDA2. 211 



ACANTHOPTERYGII. SCIENID^E. 



THE SILVERY CORVINA. 



CORVINA ARGYROLEUCA. 

 SILVERY PEARCH. Bodianus Argyroleucus ; Mitchil. 



THIS fish, which greatly resembles the Pearch both in shape and 

 habits, is well known to the fishermen of New York as the Silvery 

 Pearch. It is properly a native of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of 

 Mexico, but ranges during the summer so far north as the waters of 

 New York. 



It is a free biter, and a moderately good fish. 



It is of a lustrous silvery white on the upper parts of the body, and 

 opaque white below. Its dorsals, pectorals and caudal are pale 

 yellow ; its ventrals and anals orange yellow. 



Its body is compressed, its dorsal outline arched and gibbous, its 

 lateral line concurrent with the back ; eyes large, mouth deeply cut, 

 teeth small and disposed in bands ; the preoperculum has two small 

 spines, and a serrated margin ; the operculum terminates in two flat 

 spines. 



The first dorsal fin has eleven spines, the second dorsal two spines 

 and twenty-two soft rays, the pectorals seventeen soft rays, the ventrals 

 one spine and five soft rays, the anal two spines and nine soft rays, the 

 caudal is slightly rounded, and has seventeen soft rays. 



