70 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Genus II — Peristethus, Kaup. 



Peristedion, Lacepede. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchim present. Head parallelopiped in shape, 

 the sides and upper surface cuirassed with bone : the preorbital prolonged anteriorly into 

 a flat, projecting process. One or more barbels on the lower jaw. Teeth absent. One 

 or two dorsal fins, the posterior of which is the most developed. Two free pectoral 

 appendages. Body covered with bony, scale-like plates. Pyloric appendages few or 

 in moderate numbers. Air-bladder present. 



Geographical distribution. — From the south coast of Britain, through the 

 Mediterranean, also from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans to China. A species 

 has likewise been taken at the Sandwich Isles in the North Pacific Ocean. 



These angular, and otherwise remarkably shaped, fishes appear to be pelagic 

 forms which but rarely approach the shores, unless under abnormal conditions, 

 as after storms. They perhaps live at considerable depths. 



Peristethus cataphractum, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 2. 



Lyra altera, Rondel, k, c. 9, p. 299, c. fig. ; Aldrov. ii, c. 7, p. 147 ; Gesner, 

 p. 517, bis ; Jonston, De Pise. lib. ii, t. 1, c. 9, p. 114, t. xxiii, f. 2 ; Willugbby, 

 p. 283, S. 3 ; Ray, p. 89. Lyra, Salv. f . 192. Coccyx, Belon. p. 209. Trigla, 

 ■sp. 10, Artedi, Genera, p. 46 ; Gronov. Zooph. p. 84, No. 282. Gataphractus, sp. 

 Klein, MSS. iv, p. 43, No. 4. Duhamel, Peches, Sec. v, p. 113, pt. ix, f. 2. 

 'Trigla BZispanorum chabrontera, Osbeck, Nov. Act. Nat. Cur. iv, p. 201. 



Trigla cataphracta, Linn. Syst. i, p. 490 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1341 ; Briinn. Pise. 

 Mass. p. 72 ; Bloch, t. cccxlix : Bl. Schn. p. 16 ; Bonaterre, p. 145, pi. lix, f. 234 ; 

 •Gronov. ed. Gray, p 104 ; Martens, Reise nach Venedig. ii, p. 431. 



Trigla hamata, Bl. Schn. p. 16. 



Peristedion malarmat, Lacep. iii, p. 369 ; Moore, Mag. Nat. Hist. (2) i. 1837. 

 p. 17, c. fig._ 



Peristedion cataphractum, Cuv. and Val. iv, p. 101, pi. Ixxv ; Yarrell, Brit. 

 Fish. (Ed. 2) i, p. 67, c. fig. (Ed. 3) ii, p. 43 ; Risso, Eur. Mer. iii, p. 402 ; Cuv. 

 Regne Anim. 111. Poiss. pi. xx, f . 3 ; Guichen. Explor. Alger. Poiss. p. 40 ; White, 

 Catal. Brit. Fish. p. 5. 



Peristedion chabrontera, Lacep. iii, p. 373 ; Risso, 1. c. 



Peristethus cataphractum, Kaup, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 105, pi. viii, f. 1 ; 

 Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 217. 



Armed gurnard, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, ii, p. 38, pi. lxxi. 



B. vii, D. 7/^1x9, P. 12 + II, V. 1/5, A. 18—21, C. 11. L. 1, 29-30, L. tr. 3/3, 

 Ccec. pyl. ix-x, Yert. 10/23. 



Length of head 2f , of caudal fin 8, height of body 7 in the total length. 

 Eyes — the diameter equal to the postorbital length of the head, and they are 

 rather more than 1 diameter apart. Body of an octagonal shape, decreasing in 

 size posteriorly, while its large head has its preorbitals produced anteriorly 

 into two flattened and rather diverging processes, the distance between the 

 extremities of which is equal to 2|- or 3 times in the extreme length of the 

 snout. Two or three small spines on the upper surface of the snout. A sharp 

 ridge passes from the preorbital to the angle of the preopercle, where it ends 

 in a spine. Opercle with a ridge across its centre likewise terminating in a 

 spine. Supraorbital margin serrated : interorbital space concave. A raised and 

 spinate ridge passes from the eye to the occiput, and is continued along the 

 base of the dorsal fin to the upper edire of the tail. Mouth inferior, not extending 

 to beneath the eyes. A row of filiform barbels along the lower edge of the 

 mandibles, and another beneath the chin. Teeth — absent. Fins — spines of first 

 dorsal fin are elongated far beyond the interspinous membrane. Rays of 

 second dorsal and anal unbranched. Pectoral with two well-developed free 

 rays at its base. Yentral does not reach the vent. Caudal slightly emarginate. 

 Scales — large and osseous, forming four raised and spinate ridges along either 



