RAY S BREAM. 



1J7 



ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



SQUAMMIPENNES.^ 



RAY'S BREAM. 



Brama Raii, Cuv. et Valenc. Hist. Nat. des Poiss. t. vii. p. 281, pi. 190. 



,, ,, WiLLUGHBY, Appendix, p. 17, tab. V. 12. 



Sparus Raii, Block, pt. viii. pi. 273. 



,, ,, Rayan Gilt-head, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 330, pi. 54, 



under the name of Toothed Gilt-head. 



,, ,, Bai/'sToof/iedGiit-ftead, Don. Brit. Fish. pi. 131. 



„ ,, ,, ,, „ MS. of Couch and Montagu. 



Generic Characters. — Body compressed, deep ; profile of the head almost ver- 

 tical ; a single elongated dorsal fin ; dorsal and anal fins with scales attached to 

 the membranes ; teeth slender, incurved, placed on the jaws and palatine bones, 

 sometimes with two in the front more elongated than the others ; branchioste- 

 gous rays 7. 



The very peculiarly formed Marine Bream to whicli Ich- 

 thyologists have assigned the name of our celebrated coun- 

 tryman and naturalist John Ray, appears to have been less 

 perfectly known to the older ^vriters than might have been 

 expected from its singular shape and prevailing numbers. 

 It is figured' by Duharael, and also by Willughby and 

 Bloch. Duhamel obtained his specimen from Provence : 



With scales on the membranes of some of the fins. 



