﻿48 HOLBROOK, FISHES OF FLORIDA, GEORGIA, &c. 



The dorsal fin begins in a line vertical with the posterior extremity of the fleshy 

 appendix to the opercle, and ends half an inch from the root of the caudal ; it has 

 ten slender spines, the two anterior short, and twelve branched rays which are very 

 long. The pectoral is broad ; it begins in a line with the bony opercle, and has fifteen 

 rays. The ventral arises behind the root of the pectoral and terminates between the 

 vent and anal fin ; it has one spine and five branched rays ; the anal begins opposite 

 the first dorsal soft ray and terminates beyond the dorsal fin ; it has three spines, the 

 anterior short, the others long and stout ; there are ten very long, branched rays. 

 The caudal is large, broad, emarginate, or slightly lunated behind, and has seventeen 

 rays. 



The scales are rather small, semicircular, straight before, round and cilliated behind. 

 The lateral line runs near the upper third of the body, and is concurrent with the 

 dorsal arch to the extremity of the root of the dorsal fin, when it descends to the 

 median plane. 



Color. See Specific Characters. 



Dimensions. The distance between the tip of the opercle and the tip of the tail is 

 equal to three heads ; the greatest elevation without the dorsal fin is equal to one head 

 and a half; total length seven inches. 



Geographical Distribution. St. Johns River, Florida. The original specimen in 

 the collection of Prof. Agassiz, at Cambridge, Massachusetts. 



POMOTIS SPECIOSUS. 

 Plate V. Fig. 2. 



Specific Characters. Body oval, elongated, compressed, brownish olive above, 

 white below, with a few reddish brown spots on the sides, lateral line red, head rather 

 small, appendix of the opercle black, bordered with red. D. 10-10. P. 14. V. 1-5. 

 A. 3-9. C. 17. 



Description. This fish is much more elongated in form than Pomotis vulgaris, and 

 is much less arched both at its dorsal and ventral outlines. The head is of moderate 

 size, broad between the eyes, and narrow, though rounded at the snout. The eye is 

 very large ; it is placed one diameter of its orbit from the snout, and two diameters 

 from the extremity of the opercle, with its superior margin near the facial line, and 

 its inferior about the middle plane of the head. The posterior nostril is large, sub- 

 round, and near the orbit ; the anterior is round, small, nearer the mesial line, and 

 midway between the orbit and snout. 



The pre-opercle is round and slightly serrated at its angle, the opercle is triangular, 

 with a broad base in front, its apex behind truncated, and furnished with a fleshy ap- 



