of British fishes. 93 



upper corner : the dorsal fin commences a little 

 behind the gill-coverts ; the rays of the anterior 

 part are very obscure ; about twenty-six may be 

 counted, which at first are very short, but gradu- 

 ally increase in length, forming a broad fin to- 

 wards the tail ; but those close to the tail are short, 

 giving the termination of this fin a rounded ap- 

 pearance : the anal fin consists of about twenty- 

 four rays, formed similar to the last, but neither 

 unite with the caudal fin : the pectoral and ven- 

 tral fins unite, forming about twenty-nine rays ; 

 the first is rounded ; in the last, the four or five 

 lower rays are only connected at their base, and 

 the fifth is much the longest, forming an angle at 

 that part : the caudal fin has twelve rays, the 

 outer one shortest, which gives it a slightly round- 

 ed appearance : the opercula of the gills project 

 into an angle : the instrument of adhesion is 

 single, small, circular, and composed of thirteen 

 concave tubercles on the radius ; in the disk, which 

 is concave, there are four or five lateral curved 

 lines, originating from each side of a central longi - 

 tudinal line : the vent is far removed from the 

 sucker : the belly is very tumid : the front of the 

 head, above the upper lip, is scalloped with six 

 indentations, beneath which the lip protrudes a 

 little : between the eyes, or a little farther for- 

 ward, are two minute erect tubes ; and in front of 

 those, two small holes, probably the nostrils. 



The colour is purplish-brown in appearance 

 to the naked eye ; but by the assistance of a lens, 



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