GEMMEOUS DKAGONET. 
275 
tip of the snout being from about 43 to 41 % of the 
length of the body, and also ends a little behind the 
termination of the second dorsal fin. The length of its 
base varies between 26 and 23 % of that of the body. 
The shape of the pectoral fins, when expanded, is 
almost rhomboid, at other times lanceolate, though some- 
what broad; and their points extend a little beyond the 
vent. Their base is long. They contain one simple 
ray and from 17 to 19 branched at the tip. When 
the total number of rays is 18, the eighth is the longest, 
when it is 19, the eighth and ninth are equal in length 
and longest, and when 20, the ninth ray is the longest. 
These rays are very distinct, though fine, and are united 
by a thin membrane. 
The ventral fins, which are set far apart, in a 
horizontal position, somewhat in front of the base of 
the pectoral fins, are united to the anterior side of the 
latter by the fin-membrane. They contain one simple 
ray and five repeatedly branched at the tip and thick 
at the base. The simple ray is very small and closely 
united to the second; the others gradually increase in 
length, the last ray being the longest or, at least, of 
the same length as the next to it, and extending to 
the vent or, in old males, even to the beginning of the 
anal fin. The relative length of these fins decreases, 
however, with increasing age from about 22 1 / 2 to 19 % 
of the length of the body. The breadth of the pelvis 
across their base, on the other hand, shows even rela- 
tive increase with age, varying between about 12 and 
147 2 % of the length of the body, and being greatest 
in the females. 
The caudal fin is long and rounded at the end, 
its length, in the females and young specimens, being 
about 19 or 20 % of that of the body, greatest in the 
males, in which, according to Krgyer, it may rise as 
high as 25 % thereof. It is composed of seven middle, 
bifid rays and a varying, but comparatively small, 
number of supporting rays on each side. The number 
of the latter is generally 3, this being most often the 
case at the lower margin, but at the upper margin in 
particular it varies between 1 and 4. 
The remainder of the external sexual distinctions 
are as follows: 
1. Old male (Plate XIV, fig. cf). Head more 
elongated, obovate, its length from the margin of the 
upper jaw, when drawn back, to either of the gill- open- 
ings being about 23 % of that of the body. Snout also 
long, its length being about equal to the distance be- 
tween the hind margin of the gill-cover and that of 
the eye or about 13 or 14 % of the length of the body, 
the eyes being thus set behind the middle of the head. 
The two dorsal fins contiguous at the base. The an- 
terior rises in a falciform shape to a considerable height, 
which may be more than half the length of the body, 
the tip of the fin, when depressed, extending beyond the 
base of the caudal fin. The tip is formed, however, 
entirely by the first ray, which is the longest, being 
nearly twice as long as the second, three times as long 
as the third, and seven times as long as the fourth. 
In the second dorsal fin, the height of which is only 
V 3 of that of the first, the middle rays are somewhat 
shorter than the anterior, which in their turn are shorter 
than the last ray, which is the longest, and, when 
erected, points obliquely in a backward direction. The 
upper margin of the fin is thus as it were incised, and 
the posterior part of the fin is so high that, when de- 
pressed, this fin also extends beyond the base of the 
caudal fin. The anal fin is also much higher behind 
than in front, the last ray being so long that the points 
of its branches extend beyond the base of the caudal 
fin. The caudal fin is of nearly the same length as the 
head, and the other fins are also larger than in the fe- 
males. Behind the vent we find a long, conical papilla. 
The colouring is above yellowish brown and below 
yellowish, the belly being white with a dash of yellow. 
Along the sides there run two handsome, azure bands, 
separated by a somewhat broader, greenish stripe. The 
upper of these blue bands is generally broken up an- 
teriorly into spots. Above these bands we find a longi- 
tudinal row of bright green spots, which are continued 
on the head across the gill-cover, and mingled with 
the handsome, blue and violet spots and short, irregular 
stripes which adorn the sides of the head and a part 
of the snout. The lips are also alternately violet 
and blue. Iris bright green, with a fairly broad, 
brown stripe above and below the pupil, which often 
has a bluish lustre. First dorsal fin bright yellow, 
with three, small, oval, light gridelin spots edged with 
blue, at the base, one between each pair of rays, and 
a wavy band of the same colour and edged in the 
same way, running from these spots and following each 
mesial line of the membrane between the first three rays. 
Second dorsal fin marked with several bands, succes- 
sively green, yellow and light blue, and running trans- 
versely across the fin (i. e. in the direction of the body), 
three of them being generally continuous and edged 
