ENGLISH FISHESe 



445 



as in that fish ^ : the teeth are numerous, closely 

 connected, and even ; the two fangs are observ- 

 able only when the mouth is extended : the irides 

 are silvery, with a golden tinge round the pupil, 

 which is blue-black : the tentacula, or cirrhi, over 

 the eyes, are pinnated only on the posterior edge ; 

 the pinnae are usually five, which are flat, the two 

 lowest larger than the others, and broader at the 

 end : the dorsal fin is very broad, indented about 

 the middle, consisting of twenty-five rays, the 

 first of which is sometimes one-third longer than 

 the others ; the eleventh ray is very short, from 

 which the posterior half of the fin rises abruptly, 

 the twelfth ray being double the length of the 

 preceding. This circumstance has probably oc- 

 casioned the error into which Cepede has fallen in 

 describing two dorsal fins f . 



The dorsal fin is uniformly connected through- 

 out, like that of the Gattorugine, but materially 

 differs from it in the essential character of the 

 first ray being longest. It should, however, be 

 remarked, that in some instances the first ray is 



* Blennius sulco inter oculos, macula magna in pinna dor- 

 sali. Art. gen. 26. Syn. 44. referred to by Gmelin for the 

 Ocellaris, would appear to be an ocellated variety of Gatto- 

 rugine. 



+ Risso has fallen into the same error, as well as Linnaeus. 

 Artedi and Bloch are correct in giving it but one dorsal fin» 



