224 THE FRISTIPOMIB^. 



over the greater part of its body, beooming slightly paler on the sides, and changing to golden- 

 yellow on the abdomen, with the slightest possible dash of red. On the upper part of the 

 back, and occupying portions of the dorsal fish, are tliree large spots of deep rich purple, 

 between which are placed four sindlarly shaped spots of pale rose. These spots, however, are 

 rather variable in number. 



The Red Grouper {EplnepliUus morio) is an important food-fish, forming much of the 

 fish cargoes gathered by the fishermen on the Florida coast for the Havana market. 



In the course of the preceding pages our notice has been drawn to many remarkable 

 forms of fishes, some terrible in their fearful armatui'es of spines and teeth, some repulsive 

 from their slimy exterior and coldly malignant aspect, antt others almost bordering on the 

 grotesque from the odd and eccentric manner in which various jiarts of their structure 

 are modified. The TesseLxVTEd Parrot-fish of the Ceylonese seas, though not strikingly 

 unique in its external appearance, as many of the species already described, is, when closely 

 examined, one of the most wonderfully colored fish in the world. The whole body is 

 covered with a beautifully drawn pattern of elongated hexagons, as perfect and regular as 

 those of a honeycomli. 



The colors of this I'emarkable fish are as f(jllow : The general hue of the Tesselated 

 Parrot-fish is azure-blue, covered with a hexagonal network of golden-yellow. The oddly 

 shaped head is bright yellow, streaked and spotted with lilue. The dorsal and anal fins are 

 brown edged with gi'een, and the pectorals and ventrals are brown with the front rays green. 

 The tail fin is wholly green. The natives call this fisli by the name of Laboo Girawah, the 

 fonner term being the name of a certain gourd or pumpkin which is marked in a somewhat 

 similar fashion. 



The species belonging to this genus are very numerous, and have received their rather 

 appropriate title of Parrot-fishes from the rich beanty of their colors and the jieculiar form 

 of their jaws, which are very strong, covered Avith great numbers of mosaic-like teeth, and 

 curved in a manner that greatly resembles the beak of a parrot. As the fish wears out the 

 teeth rapidly while crushing the coi'allines and other hard substances on which it feeds, a pro- 

 vision is made for insuring a continual supj^ly of new teeth to replace those which are worn 

 away and rendered useless. The young teeth are perpetually being developed towards the 

 base of the jaws, and by a lieautiful yet simple adaxitation of existing parts, which cannot 

 be made intelligible without the use of diagrams, advance in orderly succesion towards the 

 front, and take their j)laces with unfailing certainty in the densely compacted mosaic-work 

 which arms the jaws. 



Before leaving tliis family we must briefiy examine another very large genus, here repre- 

 sented by the Banded Mullet {Ajwgon fascidtv s). 



This fish is found off the Fejee Islands, upon the coast of Mozambique, and in the 

 Australian and Moluccan seas. The genus to which it belongs comprises about sixty species, 

 all inhabiting the warmer waters, and some entering the mouths of rivers. They are most 

 plentiful in the Indian and Australian seas, but are never seen in the colder waters of the 

 northern and southern regions. The scales of these fish are large, and fall off almost at a 

 touch. The gill-cover is rather formidably armed, the operculum bearing spines, and the 

 prajoperculum having a doul)le-notched ridge. 



The coloring of the Bantled Mullet is bold and striking. The general tint of the body is a 

 glowing rose and a series of broad dark bands are drawni along the body, four or five oh each 

 side, and one on the back. At the base of the tail fin is a large round black spot, and a black 

 band runs across the root of the second doi'sal and anal fins. 



The next family, tei'med the Pristipomidic, after the typical genus, forms a large and 

 somewhat important group of fishes. They are all carnivorous, i.e., they feed upon fish in 

 preference to other diet; they have no molar or cutting teeth, and all inhabit the waters of the 



