38 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



B. vi, D. if:i£, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. TT 3 TY , C. 17, L. 1. 71, L. tr. 7/15. Coec. pyl. 

 5, Vert. 22. 



Length of head 3§ to 4, of caudal fin 5f, height of body 3^ to 3£ in the total 

 length. Eye — 3 to 3j diameters in the length of the head, f of a diameter from 

 the end of the snout, and about 1 diameter apart, Preorbital much narrower 

 posteriorly than it is anteriorly, its greatest height being rather less than half its 

 length : it is without any notch. Snout obtuse. Posterior nostril oval and 

 placed obliquely. Jaws even in front : the maxilla extends posteriorly to beneath 

 the front foui'th of the eye. Teeth — fine, the anterior ones in the outer row in 

 the upper jaw rather larger than the others : posteriorly 2 or 3 rows of rounded 

 molars in the upper and 2 in the lower jaw. Fins— dorsal spines of moderate 

 strength, increasing in length to the 4th or 5th, then decreasing to the last : one 

 example had 13 spines and 11 rays. Pectoral reaches to opposite the first third of 

 the anal fin. Caudal forked. Scales — 6 or 7 rows between the eye and the angle of 

 the preopercle. Gcecal appendages five. Colours — pinkish, with a dark base to the 

 pectoral fin, and a dark spot in the axilla. During life numerous small blue spots 

 are seen over the body, most distinct above and below the lateral-line along which 

 about 52 were present in the example which is figured. 



Name. — Couch first employs the name Spanish bream in Mag. !S"at. Hist, v, 

 1832, for Pagellus erythrinus, subsequently to this fish. 



Habitat. — British coast to the Mediterranean. This species, Couch observes, 

 is the best known to Cornish fishermen of all the species of sea breams that wander 

 to our shores only on unusual occasions ; and with them it bears the name of 

 Spanish bream, and only single examples are met with, which are usually caught 

 with a baited hook, in the summer and autumn. 



The example figured I received from Mr. Dunn of Mevagissey, where it does 

 not appear to be rare. 



Couch says this fish attains to scarcely more than two-thirds the size of the 

 P. centrodontus. 



3. Pagellus Owenii, Plate XV. 



? Bed gilt-head, Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1) iii, p. 242, (Ed. 2) iii, p. 329. 



Pagellus acarne, Parnell, Fish. Frith of Forth, p. 24, pi. xxvii, and Mem. Wern. 

 Society, vii, p. 204, pi. xxvii (not C V.) ; Yarrell Brit. Fish. (Ed. 2) i, p. 122* 

 (Ed. 3) ii, p. 147 ; White, Catal. Brit. Fish. p. 19. 



Pagellus erythrinus, Yarrell (Ed. 1) i, p. 104, desc. and vignettes, exclude 

 figure : (Ed. 2) i, p. 120, (Ed. 3) ii, p. 144 (not fig. or synon.) 



Pagellus Owenii, Gunther, Catal. i, p. 478. 



B. vi, D. ^Jhr, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. r % C. 21, L. 1. 68-70, L. tr. 6/13. 

 Length of head 3| to 3f , of caudal fin 6, height of body 3^ in the total length. 

 Eye — diameter 4| in the length of the head, 1^ diameters from the end of the 

 snout, and about the same apart. Interorbital space convex. The anterior 

 profile from the front edge of the dorsal fin to the snout forms a steep and almost 

 semi-circular curve. Preorbital high, its highest portion equalling the diameter 

 of the orbit, it is one-half longer than wide,' being narrowest posteriorly, while its 

 lower edge is not notched. Opercle rather more than twice as high as wide. 

 Jaws of equal length in front : posteriorly the maxilla reaches nearly or quite to 

 beneath the front edge of the eye. Teef7i— anteriorly villiform with the outer row 

 somewhat enlarged : the lateral rounded teeth are sometimes irregular, more 

 especially in the upper jaw, where there are posteriorly 3 or even 4 rows, and 2 or 

 3 in the mandibles. Fins — dorsal spines of moderate strength increasing in 

 length to the fourth, the height of which is about 2f in the length of the head ; 

 they decrease from the 5th : rays of about equal height to that of the last spine, the 

 last two being invested together in a scaly sheath. Pectoral 2/3 as long as the head. 

 Ventral 3/4 as long as the pectoral. Anal with the , third spine the longest, and 

 its last 2 rays similar to those of the soft dorsal. Caudal deeply forked. Scales 

 — 5 rows between the eye and the angle of the preopercle. Colours — back carmine, 



