DENTEX ARGYROZONA.— Cuv. & Val. 



Pisces. — Plate XIX. 



D. superne subrubra, subtus carnea, lineis longitudinalibus pallide purpureo-notatis ; dentibus caninis 

 maxilla mandibulaque quatuor ; mandibulse apice ultra maxillam porrecta ; squamis capitis fortiter 

 imbricatis. 



Longittjdo e capitis apice ad extremitatem pinnse caudalis 23 unc. 



Dentex Argyrozona, Hist. Natur. des Poisson, par Cuvier et Val., torn vi., p. 235. 



Silver fish of the Cape Colonists. 



Colour. — The back and the sides of the body above the lateral line a tint 

 intermediate between scarlet and aurora-red ; the sides below the lateral line 

 flesh-red, variegated with a number of narrow, longitudinal bands of faint 

 purple ; the under parts of the head and body pale rose-red, — all, in certain 

 lights, exhibiting slight tints of purple. The upper surface of the head, the 

 nape, and the preorbital plate a colour intermediate between yellowish brown 

 and honey-yellow ; the other portions of the sides of the head and the gill- 

 covers flesh-red, slightly tinted with honey-yellow and faintly clouded with 

 violet-purple ; the operculum and preoperculum bordered posteriorly with a 

 silvery grey band, speckled with minute dark points. Dorsal fin pale purplish 

 red ; pectorals intermediate between scarlet and aurora-red ; ventral, anal, 

 and caudal fins flesh-red, slightly shaded with pale scarlet. Eyes bright 

 scarlet-red. 



Form, &c. — Figure oblong oval, the dorsal outline rather more arched than 

 the ventral. Head anteriorly pointed, the lower jaw rather longer than the 

 upper ; mouth moderately large and slightly inclined upwards. Eyes rather 

 large. Nostrils double, one directly before the other, about a line apart, and 

 the hindermost almost twice the size of the front one ; they are on a level 

 with the upper edge of the orbit, and not quite half an inch in front of it. 

 The hinder edge of the preoperculum superiorly nearly vertical, inferiorly 

 arched or semicircular. Hinder edge of operculum semilunar and slightly 

 waved. Teeth partly canine partly criniform, the former external to the 



