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ICHTHYOLOGY 
EDELIA V ITT ATA. 
Form, oval ; rather high. ; the height being contained three 
times in the length without the caudal ; back, convex, but the 
anterior pro tile running almost straight to the snout; head 
rather pointed ; lower jaw considerably longer than the upper 
one, which makes the cleft of the mouth oblique ; all the 
parts of the head covered with rather large scales similar to 
those of the body ; the head is contained a little less than 
three times in the length without the caudal ; the prseorbital is 
strongly serrated ; the eye is equal to the snout and contained 
about three times and a-half in the length of the head ; the 
prseoperculum is rounded, and the operculum also; but this has 
two rather strong spines separated by an emargination ; scales 
rather large, deciduous, numbering about thirty-two on the longi- 
tudinal line, and about fourteen on the transverse one ; the 
dorsal is rather remote on the back ; being inserted at a 
distance very nearly equal to the snout, and the insertion of 
the caudal fin ; the spiny part is formed of seven strong spines ; 
the first is the shortest ; the second more than twice its length, 
strong, flat, curved and pointed ; the others become shorter as 
they are inserted further on the back. The second portion of 
the dorsal is formed of one spine and of nine rays. These fins 
have the height of one-half the body ; the tail is rather long ; 
the caudal is long, rounded, and formed of sixteen long rays ; 
the anal has the form of the second dorsal, and is composed of 
three strong spines, the first much shorter, and the two others 
nearly equal between themselves ; the soft part is composed of 
seven rays; the ventrals are rather long, inserted below the pec- 
torals ; these are placed rather low on the body, and are formed 
of twelve rays. The lateral line follows the profile of the back, 
but stops a little before the end of the second dorsal ; it begins 
again below, and follows to the centre of the insertion of the 
caudal. After having been preserved in liquor the colour is 
of an olive-green, with a broad, straight, longitudinal band of 
a fine red colour extending from the posterior part of the 
operculum, at the height of the eye, to the base of the caudal ; 
below this the body is silvery, each scale being bordered 
