MAIGRE. 
51 
Cheilodipterus aquila, Lacep., Hist. Nat. Poiss.. V, p. G84 ; 
Cuv., Val., ( Scicena ), Hist. Nat. Poiss., V, p. 28, tab. 100; 
Nilss., Skand. Fn., Fisk., p. 756; Lillj., Sv., Norg. Fisk., 
1, p. 199; Hansen, Zool. Dan., Fislce, p. 32, tab. V, fig. 5. 
Scicena umbra, Cuv., R. Anim., ed. II, vol. II, p. 172; Bonap., 
Fn. Ital., vol. Ill, tab. 88, fig. 1, p. 65. 
Scicena antarctica , Castelnau, Proc. Zool. Soc. Viet. 1872,‘p. 
100; Ten. -Woods, N. S. Wed. Fish, and Fisher., p. 53, 
tab. XVI. 
What first attracts our attention in the appearance 
of the Maigre, when we compare it with the preceding 
Percomorphi, is the great length of the second dorsal 
fin and the shortness of the anal. The plentiful cover- 
ing of scales on the head reminds us most of the Sea- 
perch, and the grayish black spot which Ave see on the 
operculum through the silver (sometimes golden) sheen 
of the scales, increases this resemblance and thus ex- 
plains the confusion of these two species which we often 
find among fishermen . a Both reach a very considerable 
size, though in this respect the Maigre far surpasses 
the Sea-perch, as it attains a length of at least 2 
metres. The form of the body is about the same 
as that of the Sea-perch. In the Maigre, as well as 
in the Sea-perch the length of the body is 4 or 5 
times the greatest depth, and from 4 to 47 2 times 
the length of the head. But the least depth of 
the body (the least depth of the tail) is smaller * 6 in 
the Maigre, being about 36 % of the greatest depth, 
whereas in the Sea-perch it is about 45 % c . Besides 
these, the most remarkable point in the external ap- 
pearance of the Maigre is the oblique position of the 
scales, directed, as they are, posteriorly upwards. Ac- 
cording to Steindachner (1. c.), the caudal fin is com- 
pletely covered with scales, which, however, easily drop 
oft’. On each side of the bases of the dorsal fins the skin 
grows into a longitudinal, scaly flap, thus forming a 
groove in which these fins may be partly concealed. 
The dental equipment of the mouth, too, is quite unlike 
that of the Sea-perch, for though the Maigre has not 
so large canine teeth as the Sciamoid genera Otolithus 
and Ancylodon , still it has an outer row of large, 
scattered jaw-teeth, largest on the intermaxillaries, which 
project from the velvety, papillose skin, which in its 
turn conceals the inner patch of cardiforin teeth. The 
gill-rakers are strong, and on the front of the first 
branchial arch and almost universally on the anterior side 
of the back ones they change into large, spinous nodules, 
while on the pharyngeals, upper and lower, they are 
developed into cardiforin roAvs of strong and pointed 
teeth. The first spinous ray in the anal fin is extremely 
short and often hidden by skin and scales, Avhile the 
second is Aveak in comparison with the rays in that 
group of the genus to Avhich Cuvier has given the 
generic name Corvina. 
The bright and gorgeous silver-gray colour of the 
body becomes Avhite on the belly and shades off into 
broAvn on the back, Avhile on the occiput, according to 
Day, it is green with a lustre of purple and gold. Hoav- 
ever, these shades vary very considerably. The fins are 
reddish broAvn or red, the dorsal and caudal, according 
to Steindaci-ixer, edged Avith gray, as are also the ends 
of the pectoral and anal fins, according to Day. The 
scales on the body are punctated Avith fine, black dots. 
According to Yarreli/, the Maigre is seldom taken 
less than 3 feet in length off the English coast. It 
is not common there, though, according to Day, it 
is sometimes taken in numbers off the coast of Devon- 
shire and CornAvall. Steindachner procured small spe- 
cimens in Cadiz and Barcelona. Geoferoy St. Hilaire 
and Ehrenberg also brought home small specimens from 
Egypt, a circumstance Avhich led Cuvier to conjecture 
that the Maigre spaAvns along the south coast of the 
Mediterranean, as one can never get small Maigres on 
the north coast. 
The Maigre is distinctly a fish of prey, and seems 
to folloAv the sardine-shoals in the Mediterranean and 
the neighbouring part of the Atlantic. Still it is seldom 
taken on a hook e , but usually in a large-meshed net, 
and Duiiamel declares that the fishermen can detect 
Avhere the fish is and Avhere to set the net, by its “song ”, 
Avhich is said to be audible from a depth of twenty 
fathoms. It is valued not only as food — the head 
is especially prized — but also for the large ‘otolithes’ 
(hearing-stones) which distinguish all the Sci&nidce. To 
these is ascribed a magic power: they are kept as talis- 
mans and used as a cure for colic, if they have been 
received as a gift, but if purchased, they are thought 
useless. 
“ Cf. Duhamel, 1. c. p. 136 and Cuvier, 1. c. 
6 7.2 f of the length of the body in a specimen 268 mm. long. 
c Q q o '/ 7 G 
° ° Z° ? 1 'Ft y) 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 5 ?) 7 7 u 7 7 7 ? 
d Brit. Fish., ed. 2, vol. I, p. 107. 
c According to Tenison-Woods (1. c.), in Australia the large Maigres are caught with hook and line, the small ones in drag-nets. 
