.248 THE EED FIKE-FISH. 



ON account of its fiery colour and ungainly aspect, the EED SCORPION-FISH has long 

 been supposed to possess qualities as dangerous as its appearance is repulsive, and has 

 been termed the SEA SCORPION and SEA DEVIL from the supposed venom of its spines and 

 frowardness of its temper. It is, however, a harmless fish enough, not capable of inflicting 

 such severe injuries as several species that have already been described. When captured, 

 it certainly plunges and straggles violently in its endeavours to escape, and if handled 

 incautiously it will probably inflict some painful injuries with its bony spears. This 

 result, however, is attributable to the carelessness of the captor and to the natural desire 

 for liberty, and not to any malevolent propensities innate in its being. 



The 'flesh of the Eed Scorpion-fish is dry and flavourless, and is seldom brought to 

 table, being eaten only by the poor, who cannot afford to throw away even so tasteless an 

 article of food. In some parts of the world a useful oil is obtained from its liver. 



The general colour of this species is red, marbled with brown upon the body and fins. 

 There is a rather conspicuous blotch of blackish brown on the dorsal fin between the sixth 

 and ninth dorsal spines. It is not at all a large fish, the average length of a full-grown 

 individual being about eighteen inches, which in a few very fine specimens is extended to 

 two feet. 



ANOTHER species, the SPOTTED SCORPION-FISH (Scorpcena porous), inhabits the same 

 localities, and has similar habits. Both these fish are extremely voracious, as may be 

 inferred from their wide mouth and general aspect, feeding on the smaller fish and similar 

 creatures. They have a habit of lying in ambush under overhanging tufts of seaweed, 

 and thence issuing in chase of any unfortunate little fish that may happen to pass near 

 the fatal spot. All the fish of this genus are remarkable for their large head, with its 

 armature of spines and odd skinny flaps, and the curious naked groove that runs along its 

 summit. The pectoral fins are always large and rounded, and the body is mostly 

 decorated with sundry skinny appendages. Examples of this genus are found in all the 

 tropical seas, extending as far north as the Mediterranean, and to the Atlantic shores of 

 Northern America. 



The general colour of the Spotted Scorpion-fish is brownish red, marbled with dark 

 brown and dotted with black. In some individuals the dots are arranged in lines round 

 the dark marblings. A few half-grown specimens have been seen with a black blotch on 

 the dorsal fin, and a number of black dots on the tail fin, arranged so as to form cross- 

 bands. This is not quite so large a species as the preceding. 



THE extraordinary creature depicted in the engraving, which is known to British 

 residents by the name of EED FIRE-FISH, and to the natives of Ceylon by the title of 

 GINI-MAHA, inhabits the greater part of the tropical seas, from Eastern Africa, through the 

 Indian Seas, to Australia. In the British Museum are many specimens of this wild and 

 weird-looking being, some having been taken from Northern, and others from Southern 

 Africa, several from Amboyna, one or two from China, and others from Australia. 



This fish is remarkable for the singular development of the dorsal and pectoral fins, 

 the latter being of such vast proportionate size that they were formerly supposed to act 

 like the corresponding organs in the flying fish, and to raise the creature out of the watei 

 into the air. Such, however, is not the case, for the rays which carry the connecting 

 membrane are not supported by a corresponding strength of bone as in the true flying 

 fishes, and are far too weak to serve that purpose. Indeed, the object of this remarkable 

 development is one of the many mysteries with which the inquiring zoologist is surrounded, 

 and which make his task so exhaustlessly fascinating. 



The structure of the entire skeleton is very interesting to comparative anatomists, but 

 is too complicated, and requires too many technical terms to be described in these pages. 



The Eed Fire-fish is common off the Ceylonese coast, and is said to be rather valuable 

 as an article of food, its flesh being very white, firm, and nutritious. The native fishermen 

 hold this species in some dread, thinking that it can inflict an incurable wound with the 

 sharp spines which arm its person and stand out so boldly in every direction. This idea, 

 however, is without any foundation ; for although the thorny spines may prick the hand 

 deeply and painfully, they carry no poison, and inflict no venomed hurt. 



