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Show 98 PISCES. PERCA, Cuv. The true Perches have the preoperculum dentated; the bony operculum terminated by two or three sharp points and a smooth tongue. Sometimes the sub-orbital and the humeral are slightly dentate~. P. jluvialis, L.; Bl. 52. (The Common Perch.) Greemsh; broad, vertical, blackish bands; ventral fins, and the anal red; one of the most beautiful and best of the European. fresh water fishes. It inhabits pure and running streams; 1ts eggs are united by a viscid matter into long strings, which form a kind of net-work. North America produces several neighbouring species.(l) LABRAX, Cuv. Distinguished from the Perches by scaly-opercula terminating in two spines and by a rough tongue. L. l~pus, Cuv. Perea labrax, L.; Sc. diacantha, Bl. 302~ Bars Commun; Spigola of the Italians; Cuv. and Val. II, x1. A large fish found on the coast of Europe; it is highly flavoured, and of a silvery hue. It is particularly common in the Mediterranean, and is the Lupus of the Romans and the Labrax of the Greeks. The young ones are usually spotted with brown. The United States produce a large and beautiful species, Labr. lineatus, Cuv. Sciena lineata, BI. 304; Perea saxatilis, Bl. Schn. pl. 20, with longitudinal blackish stripes.(2) We might also separate from Labrax a species of the United States whose scales extend to the maxillary bone, Labrax mu· cronatus, Cuv. and Val. II, xii. The LATEs, Cuv. Hardly differs from the Perch except in having deep notches and words of our author bid defiance to all English synonymes. By this term he means to convey the idea of numerous small teeth placed so close together as to resemble the pile on velvet. .11m. Ed. (1) Perc . .ftavescens, Cuv. and Val., II, p. 46;-P. serrato-granulata, lb. 47;P. granulata, lb. 48, and pl. ix;-P. acuta, lb. 49, and pl. x;-P. gracilis, lb. 50. Add, P. Plumieri, or Sciama Plumieri, Bl. 306, or Centropome Plumier and Cheilodiptere chrysoptere, Lacep. III, xxxiii;-P. ciliata, Kuhl;-P. margi'IUiia, Cuv. and Val. 53. (2) It is also the Perea Mitchilli, New York Trans. v. I, 413. [The Common Rockfish of our market. .11m. Ed.] Add Perea elongata, Geoff., Eg., pl. :x;ix, 1 ;-Labr. waigiensis, Less. and Garn., Cuv. and Val., II, 33;-Labr. japonicus, Cuv.II, 85. ACANTHOPTERYGII. 99 even a small spine at the angle of the preoperculum, and also deeper notches in the sub-orbital and humeral bones. Lates nilotieus, Cuv.; Perea nilotiea, L.; Kescltr of the Arabs, Geoff. Egyp. Poiss. pl. ix, f. 1. A very large and excellent fish of a silver colour, known to the ancients by the name of Latus or Lates. Other species are found in the rivers of India,(l) CENTROPoMus, Lacep. The preoperculum dentated,. but the operculum obtuse and unarmed. Only one species is known.(2) Centrop. undecimalis, Cuv.; Scicena undecimalis, BI. 305; Cuv. and Val. II, xiv. A large and excellent fish, known throughout hot parts of America by the name of Pike, whose muzzle, in fact, is depressed like that of our true Pike; but its teeth are small and crowded, and all its remaining characters are those of Perches with two dorsal fins; it is of a silver colour tinged with greenish; a blackish lateralline.(3) GRAM.MISTEs, Cuv. Preoperculum and operculum, armed with spines, but without notches; the dorsals approximated; scales small, and as if buried in the epidermis; no sensible spine to the anal fin. The species are small, with longitudinal white stt·eaks on a blackish grounu. They inhabit the Indian Ocean.( 4) AsPRo, Cuv. The body elongated; the two dorsals separate; ventrals broad; teeth small and crowded; head depressed; the muzzle extending beyond the mouth and terminating in a rounded point. (1) Th~ !'iche naire of Pondichery, or Coclcup of the English at Calcutta (Latesnobihs, Cuv.) Russ. II, cxxxi, Cuv. and Val. II, xiii, which is also the Bolocentre lteptadactyle, Lacep.;-Ho/oc. calcarifer, Bl. 244. <:) Lacep. in his genus Centropomus, comprehends several :Fishes which have not 1ts characters, such as the Labrax lupu$, the lates, &c. v( 3)1 B . l. pl. 30.5 , has .i mproperly given it a red tinge; the .Q...lt'Jrene orvet Lacep AJ_JJ J ' ., ' P ·tv, f. 2, 1s nothmg else than a bad figure of this Fish; it is also the Camuri of Marcgrave. (4) G;a~. orientalis, Bl., Cuv. and Val., II, pl. xxvii. La Scilne rayee, Lacep. IV? 32.>; hts Perseque tricantlte, lb. 424; his Per. pentacanthe, lb.; his Bodian six rates, lb. 302; his Centropome six raies, V, 690; the Perea bilineata, Thunb. Nov. Act. Stokh. XIII, pl. v, p. 142, appear to be varieties of it. \ |