PERCIBvE. 19 



Genus VI.— Dentex,* Guvier. 



Gymnocranius, pt. Klunzinger : Paradentex, pt. Bleeker and Synagris (Klein) 

 Bleeker. 



Branchiostegals six or seven : pseudobranchice present. Body oblong, rather 

 elongated, and a little elevated. Eyes of medium or rather large size. Mouth 

 moderately protractile, its cleft more or less horizontal : jaws of about equal length. 

 Preopercle entire or feebly serrated : opercle without any or with a not very prominent 

 spine : the distance between the eye and the angle of the mouth considerable. 

 Generally strong canines, from 4 to 6 in number, in the front part of both jaws, 

 almost invariably in the upper : a conical outer lateral roio in either jaw : vomer, 

 palatines, and tongue edentulous. One scaleless dorsal fin, having from 10 to 13 

 spines : anal with 3 and from nine to eleven rays : spines generally wealc and more 

 or less receivable into a scaly groove : caudal forked. Scales ctenoid, of moderate 

 size : more than 3 rows between the eye and the angle of the preopercle : none on the 

 front of the snout, jaws, or preorbital. Air-bladder simple, not constricted but 

 notched posteriorly. Pyloric appendages few. 



This genus has been divided into those with more than 3 rows of scales across 

 the preopercle Dentex, and such as only have 3 rows, Synagris. Even thus 

 restricted it has been further subdivided into Gymnocranius or Paradentex, being" 

 those forms wherein the scales do not extend forwards on to the upper surface of 

 the head so far as the eye, the upper jaw is more protractile and the canines are 

 weaker. 



These fishes were included among the Sparoids by Cuvier, with which their 

 habits have perhaps more analogy than with the true sea Perches. 



Geographical distribution. — Occasional wanderers have been taken on the south 

 coast of England, while they are found through the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, 

 Indian and North Pacific Oceans, also the Red Sea. 



1. Dentex vulgaris, Plate VII. 



Dentex, Colum. viii, c. 16 ; Jonston, lib. i, t. iii, c. 1, art. vi, p. 69, t. xviii ; 

 Gesner, 1598, f. 26, c. fig. ; Willughby, lib. iv, c. xiii, p. 312, t. V. 3 ; Ray, 

 p. 132. 



Synagris, Belon. p. 181 ; Salv. p. Ill; Rondel, v. c. 19, p. 150 c. fig. ; Aldrov. 

 lib. iv, t. 166. 



Cyncedus, Gronov. Zooph. p. 60, No. 214. 



Spams Jonsoni, Walb. Artedi, 1792, iv, p. 302. 



Sparus dentex, Gmel. Linn. p. 1278 ; Bonnaterre, Ency. Ich. p. 102, pi. 1, 

 f. 190 ; Bloch, t. cclxviii ; Shaw, Zool. iv, pt. 2, f. 408 ; Donovan, Brit. Fish, iv, 

 pi, Ixxiii ; Lacep. iv, p. 121 ; Turton, p. 98 ; Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 253 ; De la 

 Roche, Ann. Mus. xiii, p. 317 ; Duhamel, Peches, ii, c. 2, p. 251. 



Cichla dentex, Bl. Scbn. p. 337. 



S2)arus gibbosus, Rafin. Caratteri, 1810, p. 47, No. 126 (adult). 



Sparus cetti, Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 256. 



J'cntex cetti. Risso, Europ. Merid. iii, p. 256. 



,, vulgaris, Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 220, pi. cliii ; Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 212 ; 

 Jenyns, Man. p. 357 ; Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (Ed. 1) i, p. Ill, c. fig. (Ed. 2) i, 

 ]>. 127 (Ed. 3) ii, p. 153; Guichen. Explor. Alger. Poiss. p. 51 ; Val. in Webb 

 and Berthel. lies Canar. Poiss. p. 36; Gunther, Catal. i, p. 366; Steind. Ich. 

 Spanien u. Port. 1867, p. 22. 



Dentex gibbiceps, Reuss, Isis, 1832, p. 626 (adult). 



Dentex Johnson i, White, Catal. Brit. Fish. p. 19. 



* JIuro nigricans or the Black Bass from the Delaware river, America, has been extensively 

 introduced by the Marquis of Exeter into the waters of his estate at Stamford, where they may be 

 acclimatized and widely spread. About 965 appear to have been landed alive, and their average 

 weight is now (Oct. 1SS0) about half a pound each. — Land and Water, Oct. 16th, 1880. 



•> * 



