15 



Similar to the former, but shorter, of a more slender 

 form, and with eyes, neither projecting, nor mouth much 

 gaping. Liver rather large, three-lobed; gall-bladder 

 narrow and club-shaped ; pylorus without regular coecal 

 appendices, but surrounded by a glandular greasy mass. 

 Natatory bladder wanting ; palate and peritoneum black. 

 Snout obtuse ; teeth criniform, arranged in a band 

 around the inner edge of both jaws. Upper part of 

 body tile-red, mingled with orange and shaded with 

 brown. Scales with greenish-brown edges. Belly white, 

 clouded with orange, and tinged with yellow. Length 

 eight to twelve inches. Dorsal fin dim tile-red, sprinkled 

 with yellowish-green irregular marks, and with darker 

 chesnut-brown spots at the base of the membranous 

 portion of its first spiny rays. Hue of pectoral, anal, 

 ventral, and caudal fins, orange with carmin-red ; the 

 8 lower rays of the pectoral fins detached at top from 

 their connecting membrane. Iris yellow. 



A very delicious fish, but not very common. Caught chiefly in 

 winter. Dr. A. Smith, in his illustrated work on South-African 

 Zoology, has confounded this species with the former. Though in their 

 general outlines closely related, both fishes are however easily discerned, 

 not only by outward appearance, but yet more hy their anatomical 

 differences, the one having a swim-bladder and the other not, and from 

 the colour of the palate and peritoneum, which are white in the first 

 species, but black in the second. 



SCLENIN^E. 



5. Sclena Hololepidota, Cuv. & Val. fKabeljamo.) 

 Body elongated, stout. Head large, rounded, bony ; 

 mouth moderately large ; both mandibles armed in front 

 with a row of strong, short, pointed, cylindrical, hooked 

 teeth; none on the palate. Dorsal fin divided by a 

 deep notch ; its soft rays longer than the spiny. Caudal 

 fin truncate. Head purplish-blue, with aurora-red, 

 mottled with yellow and green shades. Back and sides 

 above the lateral line greenish-blue, marbled with faint 

 orange and purple; fins often rose-red ; ♦lower part of 



/ 





