A C A 
tJs, cheelodon, zeus, cottus, trigla, fcorpoena, 
trachinus, perca, fcisena, fpariis, labms, miigil, 
fcomber, xiphias, gobius, blennius, and ophidion. 
The term is derived from the Greek akantha, a 
thorn; and pterygion, a fin. 
ACARA. A frefli-water fifli of the Brazils, 
cfteemed very delicate and nutritious food. It's 
length feldom exceeds four inches; the mouth is 
fmall, the jaws are rough like a file, and the back 
rifes like that of the perch. One long back fin, fup- 
ported by a great number of rigid and prickly rays, 
runs to the tail. The fins are all brown ; the icales 
are large; the back is of a gloffy brov/n; the fides 
and belly are white; and the tail is undivided. A 
large black fpot appears on each fide near it's mid- 
dle, and there is another near the tail. 
ACARAAYA. A'fifh caught on the Brazilian 
fliores, by fome called garanha. It refembles the 
carp, and commonly grows to three feet in lengtii. 
The lower jaw is furnilhed with an even range of 
fiiarp teeth, like fmall needles; and the upper Ikis 
two very long teeth, with a great number of fliort 
ones. The eyes are large and red; and tiie tail 
is broad, and a little furcated. The fcales are mo- 
derately large, of a filvery hue, with an admixture 
of purple. The under part of the head and the 
belly are of a pure white ; and the fins of a fine pale 
red, except thofe under the belly, which are white, 
(lightly edged with red. This filh is much uled 
in Brazil, both frefti and faked. 
ACARAMUCU. Afilhcaughtin theWeftern 
Ocean, and Ibme other feas, of a very fingular and 
remarkable form. It's body is flatted and taper, 
about eight inches long, and three broad. The 
mouth is round, but fo fmall as fcarcely to admit 
the end of a man's little finger. In the fore-part 
of die mouth, both in the upper and under-jaw, 
are triangular and fharp teeth, which eafily pierce. 
On each fide, exactly below the eyes, aretwofquare 
fiffures, which fupply the place of gills; and on 
the ridge of the back, direftly behind the eyes, is 
placed a fine, flender, pointed horn, of a cylindri- 
cal fhape, and about three inches long, ftanding 
nearly ereft, though with a little incurvation back- 
wards. The Ikin is fmooth, of a variegated grey- 
ilh and brownifh colour, and entirely deftitute of 
fcales. This fifh ufually feeds on fea-weeds, and 
it's flefii is reckoned improper to be eaten. 
ACARAPEBA. An American fifh, to which 
fome have alfo given the name of brofeme. It 
grows to nearly a foot in length, and four inches 
in breadth; the body is fomewhat broad and flat- 
tened, and covered with large fcales of a fine fil- 
very whitenefs. The mouth is large, but defti- 
tute of teeth; and the tail is furcated. It has one 
long black fin, the anterior rays of which are rigid 
and prickly, and the pofterior ones foft and flexile. 
The other fins are of a pure white, like the reft of 
the body. This fifn feems to be a fpecies of fmaris. 
ACARAPINIMIA. A Brazilian fifh of the 
cantharus kind, and not very difTimilar to the can- 
tharus of the Mediterranean defcribed by Ray. 
ACARAPITAMBA. A fifh belonging to the 
Brazilian feas, of an oblong figure, refembling the 
mullet, and uflially growing to upwards of two 
feet in length. The mouth and teeth are extreme- 
ly diminutive in proportion to it's fize. Along 
the back runs one long fin, which reaches nearly 
to the tail, fupported by rigid and prickly rays. 
The tail terminates in two oblique horns ; the 
fcales are large, and of a purplifh colour, with a 
beautiful admixture of bluej and along the mid- 
dle of each fide there runs from the gills to the 
tail a very broad and elegant gold-coloured line. 
The back, till it reaches this line, is variegated 
v/ith fmall gold-coloured fpots; and, under the line, 
the fides are likewife variegated with beautiful 
longitudinal fmall gold-coloured lines of a paler 
tinge than the broad ond. The belly of this cu- 
rious fifh is v/hite, and it's fins are yellow. 
ACARAPUCU. A Brazilian frefh-water fifh, 
about eighteen inches long, of a rounded body and 
firiall flat mouth. This fiili, vvhich is efttemed very 
wholefome food, has no teeth, but can conceal it's 
m.outh at pleafure. The tail is long and furcated j 
the fcales are of a filvery hue; the back exhibits a 
fine golden glofs, fliining through the whitenefs; 
and there are fix large blue fpots on tlie fides. 
The back, tail, and fide fins, are of a pale blue; 
and the belly fins are of a yeliov/ifh tinge. This 
fiih is very palatable and nutritious. 
ACARAUNA. A fiili caue-ht in the Ameri- 
can leas, of which Wiiloughby defcribes two fpe- 
cies: the one called fimply Acarauna; the other 
Acarauna quadrata, or Iquare Acarauna; and, by 
our navigators, the old wife. 
The common Acarauna is of a broad and flattened 
fiiape, ufually growing to about four or five inclies 
in length; covered with fmall blackifh fcales, and 
furnifhed with a large furcated tail. It has two 
fins under the gills; two more under the belly; a 
fifdi running all along the back; and a fixth cor- 
refponding with it from the anus to the tail. The 
mouth is fmall andnarrov/; the teeth ai e diminutive 
and acuated; and the eyes fmall. It contains an 
extremely fharp thorn, or prickle, on each fide 
near the tail, which it can fheath or unflieath at 
pleafure, and with wliich it occafionally annoys 
any fifli which comes in it's way. 
The fquare Acarauna, or old wife, nearly re- 
fembles the former in fize; but, being feldom caught, 
it is deemed worthy a place in the cabinets of the 
curious. It is of a pale brown colour; with the 
tail and fore-part of the body of a pale yellow, or 
rather a ftraw-colour. It is cloathed with fcales 
furrowed with flight parallel lines, except the ante- 
rior part of the head, which is covered with a naked, 
but rough fkin. The top of the head rifes into 
an acute aijgle; the forehead is flat; the eyes are 
round, large and prominent; tlie inouth is exceed- 
ingly liiiall ; and the teeth are fiender, and dole let. 
The upper-jaw contains four fiiarp thorns growing 
on each fide; and the lov/er, two very large and 
fharp ones, bending downwards, in fhape and for- 
mation refembling a cock's fpur; from which run 
up two rows of fmall prickles to the eyes. 
ACARNAN. A fmall fea-fifh very common in 
the Mediterranean, and generally, expofed to fal<j 
among rubellios or erythrini, called b^ the fifher- 
men fravolino. It greatly refembles the erythri- 
nus ; but as that is of a fine red, this, on the con- 
trary, is of a filvery whitenefs. The mouth is mo- 
derately large; the teeth 2 re flender, and pointed; 
and the eyes, which are large, are of a beautiful 
yellow. The fins are perfe6lly v/hite, except hav- 
ing each a black fpot at their origin. Naturalifts 
are at a lofs to determine whether this fifh. is any 
ways different from the erythrinus except in colour, 
which is not held a fufiicient difLin£Hon to conili- 
tute another fpecies. 
ACARUS, or ACARI. A fpecies of venr.in 
lodged under the cutis,; where, preying on the 
parts, it excites an itching, and raifes pimples. A 
Germanphyfician has traced the origin of the Acari, 
which 
