ATHERTNE. 
3 
The air-bladder is not situated far forward, but is rather large, 
and passes beyond the vent towards the tail. In collecting them 
for observation I have found many more females than males. 
Mr. Thompson gi\es the greatest length of an Irish example 
as seven inches and three fourths, and a Cornish specimen 
has measured but a little short of this, but a usual size is five 
or six inches. The form of the body moderately lengthened 
and slender; round over the back, so as to be only in a 
moderate degree compressed on the sides; the body covered 
with large scales; lateral line scarcely to be distinguished, but 
passing along the middle of the characteristic silvery stripe, 
which, in a fish of the larger dimensions given above, was 
one fifth of an inch wide, the body being an inch in depth, 
and this stripe runs straight from the origin of the pectoral 
fin to the tail. There is an appearance of transparency in the 
body, but this is an optical deception, and no inward part can 
be discerned from without. The head is flat above, but com- 
pressed at the sides; eyes large and lateral, the snout short 
before them; upper jaw arched; under jaw, seen from below, 
shaped like a horse shoe; angle of the mouth depressed; teeth 
small and numerous. Vent about the middle of the body, as 
measured from the snout to the fork of the tail. Dorsal fins 
two, separate, the first beginning a little behind the end of the 
pectoral, having eight rays, the first of which is at the centre 
of gravity of the fish. Second dorsal and anal opposite each 
other, the first with thirteen and the second with seventeen 
rays; anterior portion of these fins elevated, and the posterior 
margin narrow. Pectoral fin high on the side, superior rays 
longest, fourteen in number. Ventral fins with six rays. Tail 
divided, with eighteen rays. Colour a greenish transparent 
grey above, sometimes tinged with pink near the silvery stripe; 
transverse bands or lines across the scales on the back. I have 
seen the second dorsal, anal, and caudal fins dotted over with 
small round spots. 
