700 



ICHTHYOLOGY. 



Clsific. them, that according to Appian, when one lias taken 

 tion of the bait, another will come to its assistance, and bite 



J^ e !_ the cortl to enaD ' e ** to esca P e - T' lis ns h was engerly 

 """V ' sought after by the luxurious Romans, who preferred 

 the liver, and even the intestines without being emp- 

 tied. Its food consists of marine plants. The second 

 i pecies is described by La Cepede from the manuscripts 

 of Commerson, and is a native of the Indian seas. 



GENUS CXII. CHEILODIPTERUS. 



Upper lip extensile, two dorsal fins ; no cutting or 

 grinding teeth : gill-lid destitute of spines or processes. 



This genus contains ten species, divided into two 

 sections, from the form of the tail. Little more is known 

 of their history than their systematic characters. They 

 were formerly included in the genera Scina and Labrus. 



GENUS CXIII. OPHICEPHALUS. 



Scales of the head polygonal, larger than those of the 

 back ; all the rays of the fins jointed. 



The. name of this genus, from t$n, serpens, and 

 xip*A>i, caput, is sufficiently expressive of the distin- 

 guishing character of the species. These are two in 

 number, which were described by Bloch, and come 

 from the coast of Coromandel. The scales of these 

 fishes, where exposed, are tuberculated, and feel rough 

 to the touch. They inhabit fresh water lakes and ri- 

 vers, and feed on aquatic plants. Their flesh is esteem- 

 ed agreeable and salubrious. 



GENUS CXIV. HOLOGYMNOSUS. 



Scales invisible; ventral fins resembling a fleshy 

 beard ; tail as if formed of two truncated cones, united 

 by their summits. 



La Cepede formed this genus, from O'AOJ, tolus, and 

 '/vftit;, nudus, for the reception of the H. fasciatus, a 

 native of the equatorial seas, where it was first obser- 

 ved by Commerson. 



GENUS CXV. SCARUS. 



One dorsal fin ; jaws osseous, prominent, occupying 

 the place of teeth. 



This genus was instituted by Forskael, and contains 

 at present nineteen species. They are remarkable for 

 the brilliancy of their colours, and the armature of their 

 fins. The mouth in the species of this genus is con- 

 structed rather in imitation of some of the cartilagi- 

 nous fishes, as the Diodon, than of any of the osseous 

 fishes. The jaws are bony, entire in some species, and 

 divided in others, and destitute of true teeth, but often 

 tuberculated or crenulated. They feed on crustaceous 

 and testaceous animals, and likewise on sea weeds. 

 The flesh of the Scarus rivulatus is pleasant to the 

 taste, but the wounds made by the spines of its fins be- 

 ing difficult to heal, it has been considered as venom- 

 ous. It frequents the coasts of Arabia. 



GENCS CXVI. OSTORINCHUS. 



Two dorsal fins ; osseous jaws prominent, and occu- 

 pying the place of teeth. 



This genus was instituted by La Cepede, and the 

 only species of which it consists (discovered by Com- 

 merson) has been named by him in honour of M. Fleu- 

 rieu. It is a native of the Equatorial seas. 



GENUS CXVII. SPARUS. Gilt-head. 



Gilt-head. Cutting or grinding teeth in several rows ; the height 

 of the body nearly equal to its length. 



Forskael formed this genus, deriving the name from 

 rirtutity, palpitare, on account of the rapid motions of 

 the fish when taken from the water. It is a very nu- 

 merous genus. About a hundred species have been de- 

 scribed by ichthyologists. They are distributed into 

 three sections, from characters furnished by the form 



of the tail. The lunulated gilt-head, Sparus aurata, Classifies 

 was well known to the ancients, and by them dedicat- ll ," 

 ed to the goddess Venus. In spring, this species fre- 

 quents the shores, and even enters the mouths of ri- 

 vers. Its flesh is said to improve in fresh water, and 

 hence Duhamel and others have recommended its be- 

 ing translated into lakes and rivers. As food, it was 

 much prized by the ancients, and valuable medical qua- 

 lities were ascribed to it. Where common, as in the 

 Mediterranean, it is often salted, and sent inland as an 

 article of trade. Several species have a remarkable phos- 

 phorescent property. Willoughby first observed this in 

 the S. pagrus, but it is more remarkable in the S. chry- 

 surus. This last fish inhabits the seas of Brazil, and when 

 a few of them are swimming in company, they emit so 

 much light, that in the darkest night a person might 

 see to read by means of it. This property enables the 

 fish to pursue its prey with more certainty ; but, on 

 the other hand, it gives information to its foes. Its flesh 

 is esteemed excellent, and much sought after. 



GENUS CXVIII. DIPTERODON. 



Two dorsal fins ; mouth with several rows of teeth. 



This genus contains six species. The D. asper inha- 

 bits the rivers of France and Germany; and, being 

 very vivacious, might easily be translated into this 

 country, in the more temperate seasons of the year. Its 

 flesh is esteemed excellent, and in our rivers and lakes 

 would prove a valuable addition to our stock of food. 

 As this fish searches for its food in the mud, in which 

 there are occasionally small pieces of gold, and as these 

 have sometimes been found in its stomach) the fisher- 

 men have concluded that its food was gold. The flesh 

 of the D. zingel is equally white, firm, and palatable, 

 and is found in the same situations. It is so bold and 

 vigorous, and so well protected by means of scales, that 

 few fishes will venture to attack it. Hence it multi- 

 plies very rapidly. 



GENUS CXIX. LUTJANUS. 



One dorsal fin; a process to one or more of the 

 pieces of the gill- lid ; no spines on these pieces. 



This genus contains, according to La Cepede, seven- 

 ty-four species. The L. anthias is the it^tf i%(v', of the 

 Greeks, who fancied that no dangerous fish could re- 

 side in the waters in which it lived, and that divers 

 might descend with safety, if they knew that this fish 

 was an inhabitant of the place. It feeds on small fishes, 

 and is very common in the Mediterranean. The L. 

 johnii, so named by Bloch in honour of his missionary 

 friend John, is found on the coast of Tranquebar. Its 

 flesh is white and palatable. The L. plumierii of La 

 Cepede, the Anthias striatus of Bloch, found in the 

 Atlantic ocean, is also esteemed safe and agreeable 

 food. The Lutjanus scandens, first described in the 

 Linnean Transactions, vol. iii. is remarkable for its 

 power of creeping up the stems of tres, by means of 

 the spinous processes of its fins and gill-lid. 



GENUS CXX. CENTROPOMUS. Basse. 



Two dorsal fins ; one or more processes to each piece Basse, 

 of the gill-lid j no spines on these parts. 



La Cepede instituted this genus, which contains 

 twenty-one species. The name is derived from xtn^tv, 

 aculeus, and iruu,*, operculum. The Centropomus san- 

 dat of La Cepede, the Perca lucioperca of Linnae- 

 us, inhabits the fresh waters of all the countries of 

 the north of Europe It grows to a great size, and its 

 flesh is white, tender, and pleasant to the taste. In the 

 form of its head, and the size of its teeth, it bears a 

 near resemblance to the pike ; while, in the structure 

 of its gill-lid, the number and situation of its dorsal 



