318 FISHES AND FISHING. 



those of the upper ; middle teeth smaller than t^ e 

 lateral. Eows of sharp-pointed teeth inside the 

 mouth, followed by bands of round, granular molars. 

 Soft rays of dorsal fin higher than the spiny ; caudal 

 nearly truncate. Scales, large. Liver, divided into 

 two unequal lobes of an ochreous hue, and with the 

 gall-bladder proportionally small : gullet, dilated into 

 a big, strong, muscular stomach, of an oblong shape ; 

 pylorus, supplied with four short coecums of difierent 

 lengths. Swim-bladder, large, simple, and firm. In- 

 testines a little longer than the whole fish. Head, 

 faint purple with aurora red; back, dull greyish green; 

 sides and belly, slightly flesh-red, on silvery ground. 

 Groove between the maxillary and inter-maxillary 

 bones, saff'ron yellow. Fins, reddish. 



This bulky fish often exceeds 8J feet in length, 

 and fourteen inches in breadth. It is very voracious, 

 and feeds generally on crabs and cuttle-fish. (Sepia 

 and loligo.) As food it is much prized, and it is 

 also cured for exportation. I^Tot very common in 

 Table Bay, but caught abundantly in False Bay, and 

 on the shores of Hottentots' Holland. 



13. Chrysophey's Cristiceps. Cuv. and Val. (?) 

 {Roman.) — Body, of a beautiful orange colour, shaded 

 by silver. Head and jaws, a deep orange hue. Be- 

 tween the eyes a falcated band of pure indigo blue, 

 and a narrow stripe of the same colour running along 



