RED WRASSE. 



287 



dry, the second of nine inches, preserved in diluted spirits of 

 wine, supply materials for the present article. 



With less variation in its colours than either the Lab. 

 maculatus or variegatus, the Red Wrasse is still a beautiful 

 fish. In its habits it resembles the last of these two named 

 species ; it feeds on crustaceous and testaceous animals ; 

 approaches the shore to deposit its spawn in March or April : 

 and Muller says that its flesh is good food. Risso states 

 that in the Mediterranean the females are found full of ova 

 twice in the year. 



The length of the head, measuring from the teeth to the 

 backward projecting angle of the operculum, is to the head 

 and body, without including the caudal rays, as one to three ; 

 the depth of the body and dorsal fin equal to the length of 

 the head ; the depth of the body alone, in a line with the 

 origin of the ventral fins, is to the whole length of the fish 

 as one to four : the scales small. The number of fin-rays, 



D. 17 + 13 : P. 15 : V. 1 +5 : A. 3 + 11 : C. 14. 



The prevailing colours are a fine red orange over all the 

 upper parts of the body, becoming lighter as it descends the 

 sides, and ending in pale orange yellow on the belly; all 

 the fins rich orange, with a tinge of darker colour at the 

 edges of the membranes ; part of the anterior spinous portion 

 of the dorsal fin is of rich purple, with two spots at the base 

 of the hinder soft-rayed part of the same fin, and one still 

 farther back, at the upper part of the fleshy portion of the 

 tail, of the same deep purple colour. 



Alternating with the last three dark spots are four light- 

 coloured ones, of a delicate rose colour or fleshy tint, which 

 appear to have given origin to the name of Doubly- Spotted 

 Wrasse. There are occasionally but two dark spots at the 

 hinder part of the body. Risso includes the dark blotch on 





