﻿52 HOLBROOK, FISHES OF FLORIDA, GEORGIA, & 



Color. See Specific Characters. 



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

 two heads and three quarters ; the greatest elevation without the dorsal fin, is one 

 and three quarters of a head; total length, three and a half inches. 



Geographical distribution. St. John's river, Florida. 



Bryttus gloriosus. 



Plate V. Fig. 4. 



Specific Characters. Body olive brown above ; yellowish white below ; head, 

 body, dorsal and anal fins marked with numerous golden spots ; a black blotch at the 

 opercular appendix, and at the root of the caudal fin. D. 9-11. P. 14. V. 1-5. 

 A. 3-10. C. 17. 



Description. This beautiful little fish is like the last described animal, elliptical 

 in form, arched both at the dorsal and ventral outline, although rather less so at the 

 latter. The head is small, short, with the snout narrow, though rounded, the occiput 

 broad, and there is no contraction between the orbits. The eye is large ; it is placed 

 one diameter of its orbit from the snout, two diameters from the angle of the opercle, 

 with its lower margin at the median plane of the head, and its upper nearly half a 

 diameter of the orbit from the facial outline. The nostrils are on a line within the 

 orbit; the posterior and larger is very near the orbit, and the anterior mid way between 

 it and the snout. 



The pre-opercle is shorthand scarcely, if at all rounded at its angle. The opercle 

 is small, subtriangular, its apex behind and furnished with a slight fold of skin. The 

 sub-opercle is large and nearly of the same breadth throughout. The inter-opercle is 

 also large, and all are covered with scales, though the top of the head is smooth. The 

 mouth is very small; the lower jaw, and intermaxillary bones are armed with numerous, 

 minute, villiform teeth ; the vomer, and palate bones have similar teeth, but smaller. 



The dorsal fin is long and much elevated, especially in its soft portion ; it begins 

 about the anterior fourth of the pectoral, or rather before it, and ends at the root of 

 the caudal ; it has nine spines, and eleven branched rays. The pectoral arises in a line 

 vertical with the end of the opercle, and extends to the anal fin ; it has fourteen rays. 

 The ventral begins nearly in a line with the pectoral, and extends as far back ; it has 

 one spine, and five branched rays. The anal fin begins opposite the root of the second 

 soft dorsal ray, extends to the caudal, and is full and rounded like the dorsal fin ; it 

 has three spines and ten branched rays. The caudal is large and rounded slightly ; 

 it has seventeen rays. 



The scales are large, rounded and ciliated behind, and nearly straight before. The 



