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The general form is most singular ; the greatest height of the 
body is at the insertion of the head, and from this it goes on 
decreasing almost in a conical form to the base of the caudal ; 
the head is prolongated in a long muzzle, which is nearly 
half the length of the head ; this muzzle is scarcely broader 
at its base than at its extremity, and the nostrils are 
situated at its beginning. The chin is without asperities. 
The head is covered with bony plates, which are strongly 
striated, except on the cheeks ; in many places these Sh'ice are 
formed of punctures, and have a radiate disposition; from a 
little under the eye the profile of the head ascends to the back 
by an oblique line, forming with the muzzle an angle of 45 
degrees ; the teeth are very numerous, and are disposed on several 
lines, all nearly of the same form, but those in front being a little 
longer than the others, and sometimes slightly curved ; the series 
are also much more numerous in front than on the sides ; the 
suprascapula and the caraeoid are similarly striated ; the lateral 
line runs at about one-fourth of the height, and terminates at 
the centre of the tail ; it is very sinuous ; the body is covered 
with very fine scales, of which there are over one hundred and 
thirty on the lateral line. 
The dorsal fin is composed of eight spines, the first of which is 
small, and measures about one-half of the diameter of the orbit ; it 
has no soft membrane ; the second has about twice the length of 
the first, and has a very narrow membrane not connected with the 
third spine ; this is very long, being over five times the length of 
the first ; it has a membrane which connects its base with the 
following spine, at about the height of the end of the first spine; 
this membrane is very narrow in the remainder of its length, and 
is free in its terminal part ; the fourth spine is the longest of all, 
and has about eight times the length of the first, or nearly one- 
third of the total length of the fish ; its membrane has the same 
form as the precedent, but the portion which is adherent to 
the next spine is about twice the height of the other ; this 
fourth spine is curved in rather a sinuous manner; the fifth 
spine is considerably shorter than even the third, and is straight; 
this membrane has the same form as the other ; the sixth and 
seventh spines become shorter still ; the eighth and ninth equal 
to the seventh ; they are straight, and their membranes extend to 
about the following two-thirds of their length, and they have 
