67 



MELAKICHTHTS TRICTTSPIDATA. 



Box tricuspidata, Quoy et Gaim. Toy. de Freycinet Zool., 



p. 296. 

 Oblata tricuspidata, Cuv. fy Yal., vii., p. 372. 

 G-irella tricuspidata ? Gunther, Catal. Brit, Mus., v. 1, p. 428 

 Crenideus triglyphus ? Richardson, Erebus and Terror, 



Fishes, p. 36, pi. 25, fig. 2. 



(Bock or Black Perch.) 



Almost black on the upper parts ; grey on the sides, and 

 white "below. On the anterior part of the head, and even on the 

 operculum, there is a yellow tinge. Dorsal fin of an obscure olive 

 grey, with the lower two-thirds of a dark red. Caudal obscure ; 

 anal of a dark green, with the spines white ; ventrals of a dirty 

 white ; pectorals sometimes of a light colour, and sometimes with 

 their external half obscure ; eye yellow. 



The fish that I consider to be Dr. Grunther's Tricusjpis agrees 

 much better with Richardson's figure of Tephrceops, only the 

 scales are not small, but of moderate size. They number 57 on 

 the longitudinal Line, and about 38 on the transverse one, of these 

 13 are above the lateral line. It is next to impossible to count 

 with absolute certainty the very small ones of the extreme lower 

 parts of the body. 



The dorsal has 15 spines and 13 soft rays ; the caudal has 15 

 long rays and 4 shorter ones on each side ; the anal has 3 spines, 

 of which the first is very small, and the others nearly equal ; the 

 rays number 11 ; the pectorals have 16 rays. 



Specimens of this sort sometimes show nine or ten very narrow, 

 transverse, obscure bands. In the warm months, the colour of 

 this fish seems to become much lighter ; and in December, I have 

 seen many specimens almost white. 



The teeth are very singular, being each three-lobed on the 

 edge. These teeth form a continued series, but over them is 

 another rather irregular and spaced one. In the inside of the 

 mouth, these large teeth are succeeded by a deep groove, behind 

 which are numerous rows of others, much smaller. 

 The Black Perch is esteemed as an article of food. 

 The usual size of this sort is from 12 to 15 inches long, but 

 some specimens weigh up to six pounds and over. 



