132 SPAEID.£. 



Fam. 7. SPAKID^. 



Percifoim fishes with a subociilar shelf, usually witliout teeth on the 

 palate, the teeth in the jaws often either cutting in front or molar-like 

 on tlie sides, separate lower pharyngeal bones, gill-membranes free from 

 isthmus, 5 to 7 branchiostegal rays, and two nostrils on each side. 

 S|iinous dorsal well developed, the soft not much more developed than 

 the anal ; latter with 3 spines. Praecaudal vertebrae with transverse 

 processes from the second or third, these processes bearing the ribs. 



Seas of the temperate and tropical regions ; one representative in the 

 fresh waters of Africa. 



1. SPARUS. 



Linn. Syst. Xat. i. p. 4tJ7 (17GG), part. ; Cuv. Ilegiie Anim. ii. p. 271 (1817), 



part. 

 Pagrus, Cnv. t. c. p. 272 ; Cuv. & Val. Hist. Poiss. vi. p. 141 (1830) ; Gunth. 



C.-it. Fish. i. p. 4G5 (18o9). 

 Chrysophri/s, Cuv. & Val. t. e. p. 81 ; Giiiitli. t. c. p. 483. 



Body oblong or short, compressed ; scales moderate, feebly ctenoid ; 

 lateral line complete. Mouth moderate or rather large, protractile; 

 maxillary folding under the prseorbital ; canine teeth in front of the 

 jaws and rounded, molar-like teeth in two or three rows on the sides. 

 6 branchiostegal rays; pseudobranchise large. Dorsal with 11 or 12 

 spines, anal with 3, both fins with a scaly sheath at the base. Ventrals 

 below base of pectorals, with a scaly basal process. Vertebrae 24 

 (10 + 14). 



Distributed over the tropical and temperate seas of the world. 



1. SPARUS VAGUS. 



Chri/sophys vagus, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 1852, p. 081, and Reise Mossamb. iv. 

 p. 11, pi. ii. fig. 1 (18G8). 



Depth of body about 2^ times in total length, length of head about 3 

 times. Snout with straight upper profile ; snout a little longer than 

 eye, which is 4 times in length of head; upper jaw projecting a little 

 beyond lower ; maxillary extending to below anterior third of eye ; lips 

 thick; six conical, curved teeth in front of each jaw; molariform teeth 

 on the sides in 3 rows in upper jaw, in 2 in lower ; 6 series of scales on 



