152 
HOLIBUT. 
llie general shape and proportions of this fish will be 
understood by the comparative measurements given above. 
The capacity of the mouth is large, and the jaws are armed 
with strong and prominent teeth, those in the lower jaw stout, 
scarcely close together, and incmwed; in the upper jaw with 
an approach to a double row of irregular size. The right eye 
a little in advance of the left; nostrils on the ridge of 
the head. The body smooth, but when dry the scales appear 
oblong and overlapping each other. Lateral line curved over 
the pectoral fin, afterwards straight. The dorsal fin begins 
over the eye, at first narrow, expanding at about two thirds 
of its length, afterwards narrower, ending short of the tail: 
anal fin beginning at a considerable distance from the ventrals; 
expanding at an early portion of its progress, narrower towards 
its termination; rays of the former one hundred and two, of 
the anal seventy-four, but prone to vary in number. In the 
pectoral I have found fourteen rays in the coloru'ed side and 
fifteen below, but tliis is probably liable to variation. Caudal 
slightly incurved, the border waved, sixteen rays; ventrals 
small, distant from the throat and also from the anal fin. 
Colour of the upper surface livid, with perhaps a tendency 
to olive, below white. 
