66 



FIN-BACKED GYMNOTE. 



whole animal is of a long, compressed, and attenu- 

 ated form, and the mouth is destitute of tentacula. 

 This is the only European species of Gymnote yet 

 discovered, and is a native of the Mediterranean 

 sea. 



FIN-BACKED GYMNOTE. 



Gymnotus Notopterus. G. argenteo-inauratus, dorso pinnato 

 pinnisque cinerascentibus, tin. Syst. Nat* Gmel, p. 113Q. 

 Pall. Spic. Zool. 7. p. 40. t. 6.f. 2. 



Silvery Gymnote, with a gilt hue, with the dorsal and other 

 fins of a pale ash-colour. 



It must, no doubt, appear in some degree absurd 

 to place a fish which is furnished with a dorsal fin 

 in a genus distinguished by the want of that part : 

 but since in every other respect the present animal 

 agrees with the rest of the Gymnoti, I shall consi- 

 der it as belonging to that tribe rather than insti- 

 tute for it a separate genus. It is a native of Am- 

 boyna, and is of the length of about eight or nine 

 inches, though it probably arrives at a larger size. 

 The head is short and obtuse : the eyes large, 

 and above them is placed a small pore or foramen : 

 the jaws are furnished with sharp teeth, those in 

 the lower jaw being largest : besides these is a row 

 of very minute teeth within the jaw : the palate is 

 also edged with similar small teeth : the gill-covers 

 are scaly, with a membranaceous edge : the scaled 

 on the body are very small : the anal fin at it$ 

 origin is fleshy, and narrower than elsewhere. 



