AGRIOPUS SPINIFER. 
bone above and between the eyes and the temporal and infra-orbital bones, 
together with the peroperculum and the other osseous portions of the 
gill coverts, with the exception of the operculum, scabrous, — the roughness 
arising from their surfaces being ornamented with fine radii consisting of 
numerous minute granular points ; operculum smooth. At the base of 
the snout in front of each eye, there is a short, strong, and pointed spine, 
and behind and rather above the angle of the mouth, three horny tubercles, 
the points of which are either simple, jagged, or serrated. The skin of 
the body is soft and armed with numerous minute and pointed spines, all 
of which are slightly directed backwards ; the lateral line is groved and 
slightly curved, the convexity upwards. In the course of the line clusters 
of spines occur at intervals of three or four lines, those of each cluster 
arise from a common base, and some of them are directed forwards, and 
others backwards. Anterior half of spinous portion of dorsal fin high and 
much arched, posterior half low and nearly every where of equal height, the 
hinder or soft portion of the fin slightly arched above, and the highest point 
projecting considerably beyond the level of the posterior half of the spinous 
portion. Pectoral and ventral fins narrow in proportion to their length, and 
all the rays excepting the first of each, free at their extremities ; hinder 
portion of anal fin much longer than anterior portion ; caudal fin slightly 
forked. The number of rays in the fins are — dorsal 20 — 12; pectorals 9 ; 
ventrals 6 ; anal 9 ; caudal 16. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Inches. Lines. 
Total length 12 6 
Length of the dorsal fin 8 7 
of the pectoral fin 2 10 
of the ventral fins 2 9 
of the anal fins 1 6 
of the caudal fins 1 10 
of the fifth or longest spine 
of the dorsal fin 2 2 
Inches, Lines. 
Height of the soft portion of the 
dorsal fin 1 li 
Depth of the anal fin 1 5 
Depth of the body at the base of the 
pectoral fins 3 0 
Depth at the base of caudal fin 1 0 
In young specimens the colours are the same as in adults ; in the former 
the spines of the body are more numerous. 
The above are the dimensions of the largest specimens we have seen : and as many much 
smaller have been procured, we are disposed to believe that the individual here represented had 
attained its full size. Specimens are occasionally caught in Table Bay, but by no means so 
frequently as either A. torvus or A. verrucosus. It feeds upon shell fish, and its stomach is 
generally found gorged with small limpets, &c. 
