ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



301 



fislies witli tlie mouth greatly projectile, and few and weak teeth. They differ much, and require 

 division into various subgenera. 



Zeus, the Dory, has the first dorsal deeply notched 

 between the spines, and the intermediate membranes 

 extend into long filaments, together with the forked 

 spines along the bases of the dorsals and the anal. 

 One species, the Common Dory (John Dory) is yel- 

 lowish brown, with golden or silvery reflections, 

 according to the position of the light, with a round 

 black spot margined with white on the shoulder. 

 [The Dory has been a renowned fish since the days of 

 the ancients, who styled it not the fish of Jove, but 

 Zeus, that is, Jove himself. The religious also claimed 

 it as the "Tribute-money-fish," from the black marks 

 of the thumb and fingers of St. Peter on the shoulders, 

 in which it is the rival of the Haddock— neither of 

 which fishes Peter had any chance of seeing. It is 

 still held in great estimation by epicures; and being a 

 ground fish, it keeps two or three days, and is all the 

 Fig. 137 .-The Dory. better for it.] 



Capras, the Boar-fish, has the notched dorsal of the Doi-y, but no spines along the dorsal or anal ; it has the 



mouth still more projectile than the Dory, the body 



covered with rough scales, and the fins entirely with- 

 out filaments. [Its flesh in little esteem.] 

 Lampris, has a single dorsal very high anteriorly, 



as also is the anal, which has one small spine before 



its base; sides of the tail with keels ; ventrals and 



caudal lobes very long, but subject to be worn away ; 



colour, violet, spotted with white, and the fins red. 



Inhabits the Arctic seas, and grows to a large size. 



[In Britain it is known as the Opah, or King-fish. j 

 Eqmila. One dorsal with several spines, the fore- „ 



most occasionally long, snout much protracted, "^ 



body compressed, and edges of the back and belly 



toothed with fins. They are small fishes, several 



of which inhabit the Indian Ocean, and some of 



them have the power of contracting the snout 



when at rest, and projecting it suddenly for the 



capture of those small fishes on which they feed. 

 Menas, has the snout as in the last, but the body 



more compressed, the abdomen trenchant and very 



convex, but the back nearly straight ; the ventrals 



■m&^'i^' 



mm 



Fig. 138.— Tlie Boar-fish. 



are behind the pectorals, but still attached to the shoulder. One only is known, of the Indian Ocean, silven', 

 with a black spot near the back. 



Stromateus. This genus has the same compressed form as Zeus, and the same smooth epidermis ; but the 

 muzzle is blunt, and not protractile. It has a single dorsal, with a few concealed spines anteriorly, but no 

 ventrals. Tlie vertical fins are thickened as in the scaly-finned fishes ; the gullet has a number of spines attached 

 to the membrane. They are found in the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean, and Pacific. Some of the species 

 differ a good deal in form. 



Peprilm, has the pelvis trenchant and pointed before the vent, resembling rudimental ventrals, and some 

 species have this part toothed. 



Luvarns, resembles the former, but has no trenchant blade on the pelvis, only a small scale, which covers the 

 vent, and a prominent keel on each side of the tall. A large species, silvery, with a reddish back, is found in the 

 European seas. 



Seserinus. All the characters of the last genus, save that there are little rudiments of ventrals. One small 

 species is known in the Mediterranean. 



Kurtus, resemble Peprilus, but differ in having the dorsal shorter, and the ventrals larger; the anal is long, and 

 the scales so minute as to be invisible till the skin is dried. They have seven gill-rays, a spine between the 

 ventrals, and some small trenchant plates before the dorsal, which has a spine directed forward at its base. The 

 ribs are dilated, convex, and form a continuous annular tube, which extends so far under the tail, and contains 

 the air-bladder. Some have a little cartilaginous horn in advance of the plates before the dorsal. They are found 

 in the Indian seas. 



Coryphtena, Dorades, or Gold-fishes, the Dolphins of the ancients, and of the modern Hollanders. 

 They have the body long, compressed, and covered with small scales ; the head trenchant in the upper 



