58 
ROOM XI. 
Nat. Hist. 
the general form of the Percoid, with the body covered 
with large scales, and only a single dorsal fin, which is 
spinous in front. Their colours are generally exceed¬ 
ingly brilliant; and from usually living on rocky shores 
they are commonly called Rock Fish. 
The Parrot Fish (Seams) is peculiar in this family, 
for the bones of the jaws being very large, and con¬ 
vex externally. The jaws are covered on the front 
part with teeth placed one over the other like scales; 
and as fast as those at the edge are worn away, they 
are succeeded by a new set. 
The last family of the Acanthopterygians are the 
tubular-mouthed fishes, so called from the mouth being 
elongated into a tube. It consists of only two ge¬ 
nera, distinguished by the shape of the body, which 
in the Tobacco-pipe Fish (. Fistularia ) is cylindrical, 
and in the Sea Snipes (Centriscus) compressed. 
The Malacopterygians, or soft-finned fish, which form 
the second division of this Class are characterized by 
all the rays of the fins (except the first of the dorsal and 
pectoral fins) being soft, jointed, and usually divided at 
the end into several branches. This division has been 
separated into orders, according to the position of the 
ventral fin. 
The first group, containing most of the fresh water 
fish, have the ventral fins situated before the pectorals. 
The next family (Cyprinidce) have a small mouth, 
feeble and generally toothless jaws, edged by the inter¬ 
maxillary bones, a strongly-toothed palate, and soft 
false fin on the back. These fish mostly feed on water- 
plants. Amongst them are the Carp (Cyprinus carpio), 
Tench (Cyprinus tinea), Bream (Cyprinus brama ), Bar¬ 
bel (Cyprinus barbus ), Loach (Cobitis), and the Ana- 
bleps, which is peculiar for the eye being divided across, 
so that it appears to have four eyes, similar to the Gyrini 
and many other water-insects. The female is vivipa¬ 
rous. 
The family of Pikes (Esocidce), also, are without any 
soft dorsal fin, and the upper jaws are edged by the 
intermaxiilaries. 
