SMOOTH SERRANUS. 



ACANTHOPTERYGII. PERCIDM. 



THE SMOOTH SERRANUS. 



Serranus cabrilla, Cuv. et Vai.enc. Hist, des Poiss. t. ii. p. 223, pi. 29. 

 Perca cabrilla, LiNN«rs. 



,, channus, Couch, Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. v. p. 19, fig. 6. 



Generic Characters. — A single elongated dorsal fin, the rays of the anterior 

 portion spinous, the others flexible ; branchiostegous rays 7 ; small teeth in 

 both jaws, on the palatine bones and the vomer; some elongated teeth among 

 the smaller ones ; cheeks and operculum covered with small scales ; preopercu- 

 lum serrated ; operculum ending in two or three flattened points projecting 

 backwards. 



Cuvieb's sub-genus Serranus, the term being derived from 

 the serrated operculum, and the fishes belonging to the divi- 

 sion distinguished from those of Perca and Labrax by the 

 single elongated dorsal fin, is new to the History of British 

 Fishes ; and we are indebted to Mr. Couch, of Cornwall, for 

 the only specimens known to have been taken on our coast, 

 and which, it is believed, will be found to belong to three 

 distinct species. The first is the Smooth Perch, Perca 

 channus, a fish made known by Mr. Couch, as frequently 

 occurring on the coast of Cornwall, in an article in the Ma- 

 gazine of Natural History, conducted by Mr, Loudon ; which 



