ATIMOSTOMA* CAPENSIS.— Smith. 



Pisces.— Plate XXIV. 



A. superne flavo-brunnea, castaneo-tincta ; subtus pallide flavo-brunnea cinnereo tincta ; ore parvo; 

 dentibus criniformibus brevibus ; pinnis pectoralibus prselongis ; squamis magnis, subovatis. 



Longitudo e nasi apice ad extremitatem pinnse caudalis 42 unc. 



Colour. — The upper and lateral parts of the head, the back, and the 

 upper portions of the sides intermediate between buff-orange and yellowish 

 brown, here and there with tints of chesnut-brown ; the preoperculum in 

 places tinged with purple ; the lower parts of the sides and the under parts 

 of the head and body wood-brown, tinted lightly with plum-purple. The 

 dorsal, anal, and caudal fins orange-coloured brown, dulled with brownish 

 red ; pectoral fins intermediate between chesnut-brown and yellowish brown. 



Form, &c. — Body oblong ovate, and immediately before the caudal fin 

 very slender, the greatest depth of the body is directly under the first dorsal 

 fin. The dorsal and ventral outlines are slightly curved, the curvature of the 

 former being greatest, and its highest point about the commencement of the 

 first dorsal. Head short and compressed ; snout full and blunt, the nostrils 

 double, and situated on its sides close to its point, the hindermost is rather 

 large, circular, and directed outwards, the other is very small and directed 

 forwards, and both are nearly on the same horizontal line with the upper 

 edge of the orbit. The upper jaw is rather shorter than the lower, and ante- 

 riorly truncated ; the lower is narrow, and slightly rounded at the point. 

 Teeth short, criniform, and arranged in narrow transverse bands, — one along 

 the anterior edge of each jaw. Preoperculum triangular ; operculum semi- 

 circular ; interoperculum narrow : all soft and pliant. Scapulary and humeral 

 plates large, the hinder extremity of the latter terminating in the axilla of the 

 pectoral fin. 



* Char. Gen. — Body oblong, ovate, and furnished with two dorsal fins, the hindermost very long, as in 

 Seriola ; anal fin formed like the second dorsal; mouth small, each jaw with a narrow belt of criniform 

 teeth ; nostrils double, and situated near to the apex of snout. Scales of body large, thin, and very 

 pliant. 



