420 



SPINY-FINNED GROUP. 



of the anterior teeth, and devote our remaining observations mainly to the typical 

 wrasses constituting the genus Labrus. In this genus, of which the figured striped 

 or red wrasse (L. mixtus) may be taken as a well-known British example, the 

 body is compressed and oblong in form, with the moderate-sized scales arranged in 

 more than forty transverse rows ; the muzzle is more or less sharply pointed ; the 

 cheeks and opercular bones are covered with imbricating scales, which are, however, 

 wanting or but few in number on the interopercular ; and the conical teeth are 

 arranged in a single row in the jaws. The spines of the dorsal fin are numerous, 

 varying from thirteen to twenty-one, and are all of approximately equal height ; 

 there are three spines in the anal fin ; and the lateral line is continuous. In the 

 young, the edge of the preopercular bone is serrated. These wrasses are chiefly 



striped wrasse (£ nat. size) 



characteristic of the Mediterranean area, gradually diminishing in the more 

 northern seas of Europe, and being quite unknown in those of India. The striped 

 wrasse exhibits a remarkable sexual variation of colour ; the males usually having 

 the body marked with blue streaks or a blackish band, while in the females the 

 back of the tail shows two or three blackish blotches. The other British species 

 is the Ballan wrasse (L. maculatus), in which the general colour is bluish green, 

 the scales being margined with reddish orange, and the fin-rays also of the latter 

 tint. Couch writes that the Ballan wrasse " frequents deep gullies among rocks, 

 where it shelters itself among the larger kinds of seaweeds, and feeds on crabs and 

 other crustaceous animals. It takes a bait freely, and fishermen remark that when 

 they first fish in the place they take but few, and those of large size ; but on 

 trying the same spot a few days after, they catch a great number, and those. 



