AGRIOPUS SPINIFER. 



bone above and between the eyes and the temporal and infra-orbital bones, 

 together with the peroperculum and the other osseous portions of the 

 gill coverts, with the exception of the operculum, scabrous, — the roughness 

 arising from their surfaces being ornamented with fine radii consisting of 

 numerous minute granular points ; operculum smooth. At the base of 

 the snout in front of each eye, there is a short, strong, and pointed spine, 

 and behind and rather above the angle of the mouth, three horny tubercles, 

 the points of which are either simple, jagged, or serrated. The skin of 

 the body is soft and armed with numerous minute and pointed spines, all 

 of which are slightly directed backwards ; the lateral line is groved and 

 slightly curved, the convexity upwards. In the course of the line clusters 

 of spines occur at intervals of three or four lines, those of each cluster 

 arise from a common base, and some of them are directed forwards, and 

 others backwards. Anterior half of spinous portion of dorsal fin high and 

 much arched, posterior half low and nearly every where of equal height, the 

 hinder or soft portion of the fin slightly arched above, and the highest point 

 projecting considerably beyond the level of the posterior half of the spinous 

 portion. Pectoral and ventral fins narrow in proportion to their length, and 

 all the rays excepting the first of each, free at their extremities ; hinder 

 portion of anal fin much longer than anterior portion ; caudal fin slightly 

 forked. The number of rays in the fins are — dorsal 20 — 12 ; pectorals 9 ; 

 ventrals 6 ; anal 9 ; caudal 16. 



Inches. Lines. 



Total length 12 6 



Length of the dorsal fin 8 7 



of the pectoral fin 2 10 



of the ventral fins 2 9 



of the anal fins 1 6 



of the caudal fins 1 10 



of the fifth or longest spine 



of the dorsal fin 2 2 



DIMENSIONS. 



Inches. Lines. 



Height of the soft portion of the 



dorsal fin 1 1| 



Depth of the anal fin 1, 5 



Depth of the body at the base of the 



pectoral fins 3 



Depth at the base of caudal fin 1 



In young specimens the colours are the same as in adults ; in the former 

 the spines of the body are more numerous. 



The above are the dimensions of the largest specimens we have seen : and as many much 

 smaller have been procured, we are disposed to believe that the individual here represented had 

 attained its full size. Specimens are occasionally caught in Table Bay, but by no means so 

 frequently as either A. torvus or A. verrucosus. It feeds upon shell fish, and its stomach is 

 generally found gorged with small limpets, &c. 



