ACANTHOPTERYGIANS. 137 



composed of rays almost equally flexible, although there is no articulation 

 to the anterior ones; seven rays in the branchiae 



C0R.YPH.ENA, CllV. 



The Coryphaenae, properly so called, have the head much elevated; the 

 profile curved into an arc which descends very suddenly; eyes very far 

 down ; teeth in the palate as well as in the jaws. Large and beautiful 

 fishes, celebrated for the rapidity of their motions, and the eternal war 

 they wage against the Flying Fish. 



C. hippurus, L. (The Mediterranean Coryphaena). Sixty dorsal 

 rays ; a silvery-blue above, with deep blue spots ; a lemon-yellow, 

 with light blue spots beneath. Several neighbouring species are 

 found in the ocean, hitherto confounded with it*. 



Caranxomorus, Lacep., 



Have the head oblong and but slightly elevated, the eye in a mediate 

 position, thus differing in both these respects from the true Coryphaenae j. 

 In the 



Centrolophus, Lacep., 



The palatine teeth are wanting; there is an interval without rays between 

 the occiput and the commencement of the dorsal J. A species of each of 

 these two last subgenera inhabits the Mediterranean, and occasionally 

 strays into the ocean. 



Astrodermus, Bonnelli, 



Have the elevated and trenchant head and long dorsal of the Coryphaenae; 

 but the mouth is slightly cleft, there are but four rays in the branchiae, 

 and their ventrals are very small and placed on the throat; but their pe- 

 culiar character is, that the scales scattered over the body assume the ra- 

 diated form of small stars. 



Astrod. guttatus, Bonn. ; Diana semilunata, Risso, Ed. II, pi. vii, 



f. 14. Silvery, spotted with black; red fins, and a very high dorsal. 



From the Mediterranean, and the only species known §. 



Pteraclis, Gronov. — Oligopodus, Lacep. 



Teeth and head of the Coryphaenae ; but the scales are larger, the ven- 

 trals jugular and very small, and the dorsal and anal as high as the fish 

 itself. 



* We will describe several of them in our Icthyology, and endeavour to settle their 

 synonymes. 



f Scomber pelagicus, L., Mus. Ad. Fred, xxx, f. 3, or Cychla pelagica, Bl. Schn. ; 

 — Cor. fasciolata, Pall. Spic. Zool. Fasc. VIII, pi. iii, f. 2. 



X Corypkcena pompilus, L., Rondel, 250; — the Centrolophe nigre, Lacep. IV, 111, 

 the same as the Perca nigra, Gmel., Borlasse, Hist, of Cornw. pi. xxvi, f. 8, or Holo* 

 centre noir, Lacep.; tlie Merle, Duham. Sect IV, pi. vi, f. 2. 



§ Astrodermus guttatus, Bonnelli, or f>i<>>ni semilunata, Etiss. 2nd ed. VII, f. I I. 



