480 VARIEGATED GOMPHOSUS. 



bear : the upper jaw is somewhat extensile, and 

 rather longer than the lower: each jaw is com- 

 posed of a bone furnished with a single row of 

 very small and close-set teeth, and the two front 

 teeth in the upper jaw are larger than the rest : the 

 inside of the mouth is smooth and blue : the head 

 and gill-covers are plain : the rest of the body 

 covered with large scales : the fins are of moderate 

 size, and the tail crescent-shaped : the lateral line 

 follows the flexure of the back as far as the dorsal 

 fin, and from thence bending downwards runs strait 

 to the tail : throughout its whole course it is 

 marked with small streaks resembling Chinese cha- 

 racters. Native of the Indian seas. 



VARIEGATED GOMPHOSUS. 



Gomphosus Variegatus. G. rubroflavo cceraleoque varius. 

 Gomphose variegated with red, yellow, and blue. 

 Le Gomphose varie. Cepede. 3. p. 104. 



This, which is smaller than the former, was ob- 

 served by Commerson about the coasts of Otaheitee, 

 and is a very beautiful fish, exhibiting an elegant 

 mixture of red, yellow, and blue, in which the yellow 

 predominates, though the blue is sufficient to shew 

 its alliance to the preceding species. 



