OCR Text |
Show FISH. 21 tending beyond th~ membrane; a second rudimentary one above it obtusely rounded. Small scales on the cheeks, preopercle, and opercle, but not on the snout, or between the eyes, or on the suborbital, or jaws, or branchial membrane, or interopercle. The scales on the body are rather small, finely ciliated on their edges, thin, and of an oblong form, cut square at the basal margin, with a fan of twelve or fifteen strire. Lateral line not very strongly marked, taking nearly a straight course from the upper part of the scapular to the caudal. No particular lines, markings, or pores, about the head, jaws, or between the eyes. Pectorals rounded; twothirds the length of the head. Ventrals exactly beneath them, a very little shorter, thick and fleshy, 1SO that the rays can hardly be distinguished. Dorsal and anal similar to those of the P. Brasilianus; the former has the spinous rays at first low, but the rest of the fin is of one uniform height, equalling a little less than half the depth : the latter commences under the sixth soft ray of the dorsal, and terminates in the same line. Caudal square, with rows of small scales between the rays for half their length: also a few minute scales at the base of the pectoral rays, but none on the other fins. CoLOUR.-" Above pale ' chestnut brown,' so arranged as to form transverse bands on the sides; sides, head, fins, with a black tinge; beneath inegularly white : under lip pink: eyes with pupil black, and iris yellow."-D. In spirits; the back and upper half of the sides are brown, the lower half of the sides and belly pale, with twelve transverse dark fascire, the alternate ones broader than the others. The dorsal and anal appear to have been bluish, the tint increasing in intensity from the base upwards; but the former is edged above with a narrow white line just beneath the tips of the rays, which extends the whole length of the soft portion of the fin. The inside of the ventrals appears also to have been bluish; but the pectorals are pale, or yellowish. Caudal brown like the back. Habitat, coast of Northern Patagonia. From the east coast of Patagonia, in Lat. 37° 26'. rrhere can he no doubt of its belonging to the genus Pingttipes, with which it ag1·ees in its very strong resemblance to the Labridce, as regards the head, lips, and teeth, and in its fleshy ventrals; but . there are very few teeth on the palatines, seeming to show that there is not much ground for separating this genus from Percis. In many of its characters, it resembles the P. Brasilianus of Cuvicr, but it is decidedly distinct in others. It differs slightly in its proportions ; in the palatine and pharyngeal teeth; in the position of the ventrals, which are not at all jugular, but immediately beneath the pectorals; in the branchial membrane being more notched; and in having two soft rays less in the anaL The colours also are different. This fish is so like a Labrus, that at first sight it might easily deceive a student. Nevertheless its vomerine teeth, spines on the opercle, and ciliated scales, point out its right family. At the same time no system can be considered natural, which does not ~.clmit Ping'ttipes as one of the connecting links between the Percidce and LabridaJ. |