286 RED BAND FISH. Class IV. 



than the body, sloping from the eye to the end 

 of the upper jaw; the under jaw longest, slop- 

 ing upwards; mouth large; both jaws furnished 

 with one row of distant, subulate, curved teeth 

 at their very edge, the front ones projecting for- 

 ward ; eyes large, placed high up in the head ; 

 irides silver mixed with crimson ; pupil blue- 

 black ; gill-coverts composed of two plates ; 

 branchiostegous rays four ; pectoral fins, small, 

 rounded, consisting of sixteen rays; ventral 

 small, oval, with six rays, the first short and 

 spiny, with a filament adjoining longer than the 

 other rays, and detached from them ; these fins 

 are close together and rather before, than im- 

 mediately under the pectorals; the dorsal fin 

 commences just behind the head, immediately 

 above the opening of the gills, and continues 

 without a division to join the tail, consisting of 

 about seventy rays ; the anal fin commences 

 just behind the vent, which is scarcely an inch 

 from the ventral fins, and continues like the 

 dorsal, to join the tail; this has about sixty-one 

 rays ; the caudal fin is lanceolate, the middle 

 ray being much the longest, and gradually short- 

 ening on each side, till the distinction is lost in 

 the dorsal and anal fins, and is composed of 

 about twelve rays; the tongue is short, and 

 with the palate is smooth ; lateral line a little 



