502 
ACTINOPTERYG1I. 
p. Ill, pi. iii. fig. 1 (? err ore).— Oligocene ; Canton Glarus, 
Switzerland. [Imperfect fish ; Geological Museum, Uni- 
versity of Bonn.] 
Acanus gracilis, G. vom Rath, loc. eit. 1859, p. 112, pi. iii. fi|t- - ’• 
A. Wettstein, loc. cit. 1886, p. 66, pi. viii. fig. 9.— Ibid. 
[Ditto.] 
Genus LATES, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 
[Hist. Nat. Poissons, vol. ii. 1828, p. 88.] 
Head and trunk laterally compressed. Mouth large and protrac- 
tile, with bands of villiform teeth on tho premaxilla, dentary, 
vomer, palatine, and cctopterygoid ; supramaxillapresent; suborbitals 
reduced and serrated. Upper limb of preoperculum serrated, lower 
limb with few large spines (some antrorse), and angle with a strong 
spine ; operculum with one spine behind ; seven branchiostegal 
rays. Vertebra; 12 in the abdominal, 13 in the caudal region; 
some hinder ribs borne by transverse processes. Two dorsal fins 
subequal in extent and connected at the base, the anterior with / 
or 8 spines, the posterior with one spine and 10 to 12 articulated 
rays ; anal fin small, with 3 spines and 8 or 9 articulated rays ; 
caudal fin rounded or slightly forked. Scales large or of moderate 
size, finely denticulated, extending partly over the head, also partly 
enshoathing the dorsal and anal fins. Lateral line complete, ex- 
tending over the caudal fin. 
The existing species of Laics inhabit the freshwaters of tropical 
Africa, and the mouths of rivers and coasts of south-eastern Asia 
and northern Australia. 
Lates gracilis, Agassiz. 
1790. Holocentrus calcarifer, G. S. Volta, Ittiolit. Veronese, p. lxxxii- 
pi. xvii. fig. 3 (err ore). 
1796. Lutianus ephippium, G. S. Volta, ibid. p. ccxxxv. pi. lvi- fig- 
( errore ). 
1833-34. Lates gracilis, L. Agassiz, Poiss. Foss. vol. iv. p. 25, pi- **'• 
1833-34. Lates gibbus, L. Agassiz, ibid. p. 27, pi. iv. [Distorted fish-] 
1833-34. Lates not ecus, L. Agassiz, ibid. p. 29, pi. v. [Imperfect dis 
torted fish ; Paheontologieal Museum, Munich.] 
1876. Lates gracilis, F. Bassani, Atti Soc. Veneto-Trent. Sci. Nft • 
vol. iii. p. 174. 
1876. Lates gibbus, F. Bassani, ibid. p. 174. 
Type. Well-preserved fish ; Paris Museum of Natural 1 listen . 
A species attaining a length of about 0'25. Length of hea 
