TILAPIA SPARRMANII. 



spinous portion which are disposed in an oblique direction, so as to form a 

 sort of slanting bar in front of the soft portion of the fin. Ventral fins, light 

 brownish red ; the pectoral ones, semitransparent and of an orange white 

 colour, the tints of the sides distinctly visible through them. Lips, pale 

 greenish yellow. Eyes, pale straw yellow, with one or more spots of dull 

 purple. 



Form, &c. — Snbovate. The head, both superiorly and inferiorly, regularly 

 tapered towards the nose ; the line of the back slightly curved. Dorsal fin, 

 anteriorly low, with its superior edge nearly level, posteriorly much higher, 

 particularly from the commencement of the soft portion. The rays of the 

 latter, particularly the middle ones, are much longer than those of the spinous 

 portion, and their direction more oblique. The rays of the spinous portion 

 project slightly above the connecting membrane, giving to the upper edge of 

 the fin anteriorly a rather ragged or serrated appearance ; and some of them 

 are surmounted by delicate fleshy points, of a saffron colour. Posterior edge 

 of dorsal fin oblique, the upper extremity prolonged towards the caudal fin. 

 Anal fin, rather short, the spinous rays not so long as the soft ones ; its 

 hinder edge oblique, and nearly opposite to the corresponding portion of the 

 dorsal fin. Caudal fin fan-shaped. Pectoral fins long, the superior rays 

 longest, hence its posterior edge is oblique. Five small pores in a line- upon 

 the inferior and hinder edge of preoperculum. Scales large, hard, semicircular 

 behind, and disposed in about ten longitudinal rows, from 23 to 27 scales in 

 each. The number of rays in the fins are, 



D.13— 9. A. 3—9. C. 18. P. 11. V. 1—5. 



The general appearances and organisation of this little fish have inclined us to refer it to the 

 Labyrinthiformes of Cuvier, and as we have not been able to find any described form with 

 characters similar to those it possesses, we have found it necessary to regard it as the type of a 

 new division for which we propose the name of Tilapia. The fossa or caverns connected with 

 the gills are very indistinct, yet such traces of them exist, as appears to warrant our regarding 

 Tilapia as a fish of an aberrant form. It occurs in small fresh-water streams to the north 

 of the Orange River, and the specimens we obtained were all taken from pools in the beds of 

 temporary streamlets. Knowing that the water found in such situations usually disappears 

 during the dry season, we at once inferred that all the specimens we saw were doomed to death 

 on the arrival of that period. On questioning the natives of the district as to the frequency of 

 these fishes in such situations, and stating to them our belief that they must all die with the 

 disappearance of the waters, they strongly opposed our conclusion, and maintained that on the 

 drying up of the water the fishes buried themselves in the mud with which the bottoms of the 

 pools were coated, and there remained until fresh rains filled the holes and induced them to 

 leave their subterranean abodes ; in these respects, added our informants, they resemble water 

 tortoises. 



