348 



SPINY-FINNED GR O UP. 



ranean, Atlantic, and Indian seas, among which the common sargo (S. annularis), 

 represented in the upper figures of our illustration on p. 347, is a familiar fish on 

 the Continent. The essential features of the group are the single series of cutting- 

 teeth in the front of the jaws, the presence of several rows of molars on the sides 

 of the same, the toothless palate, and the simple lower pectoral rays. The figured 

 species is a uniformly coloured fish ; but in the larger " sheep's-head " (S. ovis), 

 from the Atlantic coasts of the United States, which attains a weight of 15 lbs. 

 and is highly esteemed for the table, the body and tail are marked by a number 

 of broad vertical bands. The strong molars of these fish indicate that their food 

 consists of hard-shelled molluscs, crustaceans, or sea-urchins. Known there as dentice, 

 these fishes form part of the bill of fare on the tables of hotels in Southern Italy. 

 As our example of the fourth subfamily, which contains several 

 genera, among which Pagrus is the typical one, we select the gilt- 



Gilt-Heads. 



- 



" ? 



AUSTRALIAN KNIFE-JAWED FISH ( r\ liat. size). 



heads (Chrysophrys), so-called on account of the golden spots between the eyes of 

 the Mediterranean C. aurata, a species which occasionally wanders to the 

 British coasts, and is shown in the lower figure of our illustration. The group is 

 characterised by the presence of conical teeth in the front of the jaws, and of molars 

 on their sides, the palate being toothless ; while the genus under consideration is 

 distinguished by having scales on the cheeks, and at least three rows of upper 

 molars. The Mediterranean gilt-head, which ranges southward as far as the Cape, 

 is a handsome fish, with a short and elevated head, the body deepest at the com- 

 mencement of the dorsal fin, the iris yellow, a semilunar golden spot between the 

 eyes, and a violet patch on the gill-cover. The back is silvery grey with a tinge 

 of blue, and the under surface steely, with longitudinal golden bands on the sides. 

 In length it seldom exceeds a foot. Fully adult examples show a perfect pavement 

 of teeth on the jaws ; and with these the fish crunches up mussels and other shell- 

 fish with such vigour that the noise thus made sometimes reveals its presence to 

 fishermen. In order to obtain food, it is stated to stir up the sand of the sea- 

 bottom with its tail. The gilt-eye was one of the fishes kept and fattened by the 



