FAMILY S COMBEROIDA. MACKERELS. 



113 



in the vomer. They are found in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic, 

 living near the shore in muddy, weedy parts, and feeding upon small fish 

 and molluscous animals. 



The Common Picarel (S. Vulgaris) is about eight inches in length ; head 

 pointed ; mouth not large ; inferior jaws has two cuspid teeth at its tip ; 

 eyes large; preopercule rather large, its limb prominent, and marked with 

 parallel vertical striae ; opercule of moderate size, connected with the sub- 

 opercule ; interopercule very narrow and indistinct, although separate from 

 the other pieces, all of which and the cheek are scaly ; branchiostegal 

 membrane narrow and supported by six rays ; body covered with strong 

 rough scales ; dorsal fin commencing with the second third of the length of 

 the body, and about half its depth in height, the membrane connecting its 

 eleven spiny and some branching rays very delicate ; anal fin supported by 

 three spiny and four soft rays ; pectoral fins long and narrow ; caudal 

 slightly forked ; the general colour of the fish is silvery-grey, deeper on the 

 back, and lighter on the belly. It is so abundant at Ivic,a, that it forms 

 more than half of the fishery. 



CH^ETODON. The animals which compose this genus are all natives of 

 the Torrid Zone ; but it is a curious geological fact, that some of them have 

 been found near Verona in a fossil state in good preservation, such as the 

 C. Pinnatus, which is never found but in the sea of Japan or the coasts of 

 India and Arabia. The Chcetodons form beautiful subjects for painting, on 

 account of the elegance and variety of their colours. They are divided into 

 five subgenera, of the first of which the Streaked Chatodon (C. Striatus), is 

 a species (Plate 2). These have neither spines nor notches upon the 

 opercule ; the body is oval ; the dorsal spines following lengthways ; 

 thirteen spines to the dorsal fin ; tail rounded ; general colour yellow, 

 marked with four or five large transverse brown bands ; pectoral and caudal 

 fins blackish. The species are numerous. 



BRAMA Bream. Of this genus there seems to be but one species well 

 ascertained, viz., B. Rail (Schneid.) ; Sparus Raii (Bloch) ; B. Marina 

 (Ray) ; B. Atropus ; Sea Bream. It measures about two feet in length, 

 and has much the figure of the common Bream ; the mouth is directed 

 upwards ; the dorsal fin extends along the whole length of the back to the 

 tail, and is covered w-ith broad stiff' scales, as are also the anal and caudal 

 fins ; the teeth long and hooked ; the back black and becoming lighter by 

 degrees, till the belly is of a silvery colour; all the fins of a dingy red 

 except the dorsal, which is reddish at its base, but of a bluish-green above. 

 They are found, according to Lacepede, in the strait which divides England 

 from France, along the western French coast, and near the Cape of Good 

 Hope, and sometimes on our own coast. They are considered very good 

 for the table. 



Other genera of this family : 



EQUES. Body cuneiform ; tail pointed ; mouth narrow. 



FIATOLA. Abundant in the Mediterranean ; good for food ; form oval ; 

 single row of small teeth. 



KURTUS. Four species, found in the Indian seas ; body oval ; lower 

 jaw shorter than the upper; fine teeth like velvet. 



OSPHROXEMUS. Indigenous to China and Batavia ; it is a well-flavoured 

 fish ; is abundant. 



SCORPIS. Only one species, found in New Holland. 



ToxOTES. Only one species, nearly allied to the Chaetodons. 



ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES. 



PLATE 3. 



Family MACKERELS; Scomberoida. 



The Mackerels form a very large family, all of which are highly ser- 

 viceable to man, and for the capture of which many extensive fisheries 

 have been established. , 



Genera. Species. Common Name. 



Scomber ... Scomber - - - - - Mackerel. 

 Xiphias - - - - Gladius ----- Sword-fish. 



Zeus .... - Faber 



Doree. 



Family BAND-FISH ; Tamiaida. 

 The Band-fish have a close resemblance to the Mackerels (Scomber). 



Genera. Specie*. Common Name. 



Tricliiurus - - - Lepturus .... Hairtail. 



Stylephorus - - - Chordatus. 



Cepola .... Eubescens .... Red Band-fish. 



Family THEUTYES; Theutida. 



The Theutyes are, in some respects, like the Mackerels ; but they differ 

 from them in having trenchant spines on the sides of the tail, and a hori- 

 zontal spine before the dorsal. 



Amphacanthus - - Guttatus. 



CHARACTERS OF THE GENERA. 



1. SCOMBER. Teeth pointed, a row in each jaw ; body spindle-shaped, 

 covered with small scales ; two dorsal fins far apart, the first continuous, 

 the second and the anal divided into several false fins; pectoral fins of 

 moderate size ; ventrals far forward ; each side of the tail furnished with 

 two little crests, but no keel ; most of them provided with an air- 

 bladder. 



2. XIPHIAS (Gr. i'0of, a sword). Body lengthy, and covered with 

 small scales ; lateral line unarmed ; upper jaw, consisting of the vomer and 

 intermaxillaries, lengthened into a long sword-like process ; no teeth, except 

 on the pharyngeal bones ; dorsal fin single and lengthy ; no ventral fins ; 

 on each side of the tail a strong keel ; branchiostegous rays seven. 



3. ZEUS. Mouth projectile ; small teeth ; body oval, deep, and com- 

 pressed ; dorsal fin single, its spiny separated from its soft part by a deep 

 notch. In one section the surface is smooth ; the dorsal spines send up long 

 filamentous, membranous processes ; along the dorsal and ventral edges of 

 the body, on each side, a row of short, stout spines ; ventral fins under the 

 throat, lengthy. In the other section the surface is rough ; the dorsal fin 

 has no filaments, nor are the edges of the body spiny ; the ventral fins are 

 on the belly, shorter, with one strong spine, and the rest soft and branch- 

 ing ; in both the tail projects suddenly, and shallow from the body, and its 

 rays are branching. 



1. TRICHIURUS (Gr. 6p!, a hair, and ovpa, a tail). Head pointed, and 

 lower jaw projecting beyond the upper ; teeth strong, pointed, and cutting ; 

 body scaleless, lengthy, compressed, riband-shaped, and the tail prolonged 

 into a slender compressed thread ; dorsal fin extending along the greater 

 part of the ridge of the back ; instead of the anal fin a series of minute 

 spines are placed on the under part of the tail ; ventral and caudal fins 

 deficient ; branchial rays seven. 



2. STYLEPHORUS (Gr. <rrv\oc, a column, and <t>ip<a, I bear). Head 

 lengthy, narrow, expanded behind, but terminating anteriorly in a very long 

 trunk, at the end of which is the mouth unfurnished with teeth ; eyes 

 lateral, large ; opercules very small, branchial rays five or six, and very 

 slender; body long, slender, and quadrangular on the back; dorsal fin 

 extending along nearly its whole length ; caudal supported by six rays, of 

 which the last is horizontal and twice as long as the body ; no ventral fins. 



3. CEPOLA. Body and tail long and compressed in form of a riband ; belly 

 almost as long as the head ; besides the long dorsal fin they have a distinct 

 caudal and long anal fin ; mouth facing upwards on account of the shori . 



of the upper jaw ; teeth strong and pointed, slightly serrated. 



1. AMPHACASTHUS (Gr. a/jpi, on both sides, &Kav6vt, a thorn, and oipd, 

 a tail). Body compressed, oblong ; mouth small ; a single row of trenchant 

 teeth in the jaws ; other characters same as Scomber. 



SCOMBEROIDA. DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES. 



SCOMBER Mackerel. Mackerel live in shoals, and make their appear- 

 ance very regularly at certain seasons in particular places ; they are very 

 valuable as articles of food, and are sought after with great avidity. The 

 scales covering their body are almost imperceptible. They are found both 

 in the old and new continent, but never lower than the Canaries. A very 



