248 THE RED FIRE-FISH. 



ON account of its fiery color and ungainly aspect, the RED 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 forwardness 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 struggles violently in its endeavors 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 Red Scorpion-fish is dry and flavorless, 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 color 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 porcus), 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 color 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 

 crossbands. 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 RED 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 South- 

 ern 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 

 water into the air. Such, however, is not the case, for the rays which carry the con- 

 necting 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 Red Fire-fish is common off the Ceylonese coast, and is said to be rather valu- 

 able 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. 



