BLUE-STRIPED WRASSE. 



281 



ACANTHOPTERYGIL 



LABRID^. 



~^$^ 



THE BLUE-STRTPED WRASSE. 



Lahrusvariegatus, Gmel. Linn. 



,, ,, La vieilleray^e, Cuviee, Regne An. t. ii. p. 255. 



,, ,, Striped Wrasse, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 337, pi. 57. 



,, coquus. The Cook Wrasse, Penn. ,, ,, ,, iii. p. 340. 



,, variegatus, Striped Wrasse, Don. Brit. Fish. pi. 2i. 



,, coquus. The Cook Wrasse, Flem. Brit. An. p. 209, sp. 133. 



Sparus formosus , Shaw, Nat. Misc. pi. 31. 



Labrus pavo, Risso, Hist. t. iii. p. 299, sp. 196. 



This species, first described as British by Pennant, is 

 one of the most beautiful of the Labridte, and appears to 

 be much more frequently met with on the southern than 

 upon the eastern shores of England : those from the southern 

 shores are also most conspicuous for the beauty of their 

 appearance. It is liable to some variation occasionally 

 in its colours and markings, as the various figures of this 

 fish will show, but the general form of body and fins are 

 permanent. I have obtained two specimens in the London 

 fish- market. 



This species is not unfrequent in Cornwall, and has been 

 taken at Cork, Dublin, Down, and Antrim. 



