PISCES THQRACICI. PERCA. 
2,5 
No. CXXXIII. 
Gasterosteus spinis dorsalibus tredecem; cauda oblonga cuspidata, utrinque aculeata; pinnis 
pectoralibus perlongis. 
The Gasterosteus with thirteen dorsal spines; an oblong sword-pointed tail, with prickles 
on both edges ; the pectoral fins extremely long. 
Gasterosteus volitans Linn. S. fif. p. 491. 
Called by the Natives Kodipungi. 
'3 z 3 
B. vii. D. 25. P. 13 V. 6. A. 1J. C. 13. 
The body oblong-ovate, compressed, broad at the shoulders, covered with very minute sub-orbicular scales, 
carinate, tenacious. 
The head large, compressed, rugged, and armed with numerous prickles; the front declivous, depressed, or 
furrowed; several prickles near the point of the rostrum. Six small cirri only were found; one, on each side, 
from the upper jaw, and two from the edge of the opercula. 
Mouth oblique, large, wide ; lips simple. Jaws extractile, the upper emarginate, and longer than the under. 
Teeth numerous, small, acerose, close. Tongue short, oval-form, smooth, free. Palate wide, rough in the fore 
part. Eyes close to the vertex, middle size, remote from the rostrum, orbicular. The upper margin of the orbit 
prickly. Nostrils double, gaping, distant from each other, the anterior guarded with prickles. 
The branchial opercula somewhat three-laminated, bony, scabrous, and the two anterior armed with many 
spines; the posterior lamina ends in a soft point, behind which are two black spots. The membrane covered, 
but visible; the aperture large. 
The trunk. The back a little arched and somewhat carinate, the breast and belly convex, plane; sides and 
tail compressed. Lateral line supreme, a little carinate, at first arched, then descends obliquely, and terminates 
at the base of the caudal fin. Anus nearer the tail than the head. 
The fins. The dcrsal single, occupying the whole back, from the neck to within half an inch of the 
tail. The thirteen spinal rays very long, the longest ray two inches four lines; the first, one inch in length; 
the last, eight lines; all are connected by a tender membrane, which reaches little more than half an 
inch from the root, and is continued upon the spines, but breaks off upon handling: the posterior part of the 
fin is assurgent to a point. The pectoral low, very broad, acuminate at top, and extends to near the caudal 
fin ; the ventral long, lanceolate; the anal remote, assurgent, and pointed, like the second dorsal; the caudal 
fin oblong, a little rounded, but acuminate at the point: above and beneath, on the edges, are three distinct 
prickles. 
The colour. The general colour is red, the throat, breast, and branchial membrane excepted, which are pure 
white. The head pink, with streaks of deeper red. The trunk with transverse fillets, some pink, others of 
yellowish-red, edged with pale-blue. The fins red; the pectoral and ventral (sometimes the dorsal) with 
small black dots, on the rays and membrane, and white dots, resembling pearls, on the under side; the margin 
of the ventral fins black ; the anal and caudal red, without spots. 
The length, nine inches. 
VOL. n. 
