DENTEX ARGYROZONA.— Cuv. & Yal. 
Pisces. — Plate XIX. 
D. superne subrubra, subtus camea, lineis longitudinalibus pallide purpureo-notatis ; dentibus canmis 
maxilla mandibulaque quatuor ; mandibulae apice ultra maxillam porreota ; squamis capitis fortiter 
imbricatis. 
Longitudo e capitis apice ad extremitatem pinnss caudalis 23 unc. 
Dentex Argyrozona, Hist. Natur. des Poisson, par Cuvier et Yal., tom vi., p. 235. 
Silver fish of the Cape Colonists. 
Colour. — The back and the sides of the body above the lateral line a tint 
intermediate between scarlet and aurora-red ; the sides below the lateral line 
flesh-red, variegated with a number of narrow, longitudinal bands of faint 
purple ; the under parts of the head and body pale rose-red, — all, in certain 
lights, exhibiting slight tints of purple. The upper surface of the head, the 
nape, and the preorbital plate a colour intermediate between yellowish brown 
and honey-yellow; the other portions of the sides of the head and the gill- 
covers flesh-red, slightly tinted with honey-yellow and faintly clouded with 
violet-purple ; the operculum and preoperculum bordered posteriorly with a 
silvery grey band, speckled with minute dark points. Dorsal fin pale purplish 
red ; pectorals intermediate between scarlet and aurora-red ; ventral, anal, 
and caudal fins flesh-red, slightly shaded with pale scarlet. Eyes bright 
scarlet-red. 
Form, &c.— Figure oblong oval, the dorsal outline rather more arched than 
the ventral. Head anteriorly pointed, the lower jaw rather longer than the 
upper ; mouth moderately large and slightly inclined upwards. Eyes rather 
larce. Nostrils double, one directly before the other, about a line apart, and 
the hindermost almost twice the size of the front one ; they are on a level 
with the upper edge of the orbit, and not quite half an inch in front of it. 
The hinder edge of the preoperculum superiorly nearly vertical, inferiorly 
arched or semicircular. Hinder edge of operculum semilunar and slightly 
waved. Teeth partly canine partly criniform, the former external to the 
