314 FISHES AND FISHING. 



dibles armed infrontVith a row of strong, short pointed, 

 cylindrical, hooked teeth ; none on the palate. Dorsal 

 fin divided by a deep notch ; its soft rays longer than 

 the spiny ; caudal fin, truncate. Head, purplish blue, 

 with aurora-red, mottled with yellow and green 

 shades. Back and sides, above the lateral line, 

 greenish blue, marbled with faint orange and purple ; 

 fins, often rose-red ; lower part of the body, pale flesh- 

 red, mixed with green, purple, and white. 



A large fish, from two to three feet long. Com- 

 mon on the coast ; caught with the hook and drag 

 net. Is one of the staple fishes on the market, dried 

 and salted like cod, and exported to the Mauritius 

 and elsewhere. Its flesh, when young, is good, but 

 firm and diy in adult individuals. 



6. Otolithxjs ^quidens. Cuv. and Val. (Geel- 

 beck.) 'Body, oblong; head, conical; mouth, middle- 

 sized; lower jaw, pointed, longest. Teeth in both 

 mandibles nearly alike, numerous, sharp, crooked, 

 the anterior ones of the upper jaw largest. Eirst 

 dorsal fin, low, spiny ; caudal, semilunated. Back and 

 sides above thel ateral line, dull, bluish purple, inter- 

 mixed with green and orange ; upper surface of head, 

 flushed with aurora-red ; lower parts, silvery white, 

 tinted with purple-grey ; inside of mouth, gamboge- 

 yellow. Hence the vernacular name Geelbeck (yel- 

 low mouth). Iris, orange. Clumsy, attaining a length 



