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Show 148 PISCES. nates the.i r upper J· a w·' a powerful weapon with which they attack the largest sea am· ma Is · This beak is chiefly co. mposed of the vomer a.n d .m termaxl'l l an·e s, being~ strengthened at. Its base by th.e rethmotd, frontals, anc1 rna X'llla• ries · Their branch1re are no. t pectmated; each of them b e·m g formed of two large p.a rallel la.m m. re, the. surface of whl·C h I· S re t'lC ulatecl ·( 1) They swim With astoms. hmg swiftness, and their flesh is excellent. XrPHIAs, Cuv. The Sword-Fish, properly so called, has no ventrals. But one species is known. . . . Xiphias gladius, L. (The Sword-Fish.) The pomt hortzon· tally flattened and trenchant like the broad blade of a sword; sides of the tail strongly carinated. It has but one dorsal, which rises from before and from behind; the middle of it becoming worn with age gives it the appearance of being double. It is one of the largest and best fishes of the European seas, fre· quently attaining the length of fifteen feet. It is more common in the Mediterranean than in the Atlantic Ocean. A parasitic crustaceous animal(2) penetrates into its flesh and sometimes renders it so furious that it dashes itself on shore.(3) TETRAPTURus, Rafin. Point of the muzzle shaped like a stilet; each ventral consisting of a single non-articulated blade; two small salient crests on each side of the base of the caudal as in the Mackerel. One species inhabits the Mediterranean, the .!liguille of the Sicilians, Tetrapturus belone, Rafin., Caratt., pl. i, f. 1. MAKAIRA, Lacep. The armed muzzle and two small crests of a Tetrapturus, but the ventrals are wanting. But a single specimen has ever been seen, and that was cap· tured at the island of Reen in 1802. It is the Mak. noirdtre, Lacep.; Xiphiaa makaira, Sh. ( 4) (1) This led Aristotle to say that the Xiphias has eight branchia:. (2) Improperly named by Gmelin, the Pennatulafilosa. (3) N.H. The Xiph. imperator, Bl., Schn., pl. 21, taken from Duham. Sect. IV, pl. xxvi, f. 2, is merely a copy of a bad figure given by Aldrovande (Pisc. P· 332) for that of the common Xiphias. This species must consequently be stricken off. (4) It yet remains to be seen whether this was not a Tetrapturus that had lost its ventrals. The fig. of Lacep., IV, xiii, 3, is taken from the rude drawing of • fisherman. ACANTHOPTERYGII. 149 lsTIOPHORus, Lacep.-N oTISTIUM, Herman. The beak and caudal crests of a Tetrapturus, but the dorsal is very high and serves them for a sail when swimming; their long and slender ventrals are composed of two rays. There are several imperfectly determined species, one o£ which inhabits the Indian Ocean, Scomber gladius, Broussonet, . Acad. des Sc. 1786, pl. x; Xiphiaa velifer, Bl., Schn.; Xiphias platisterus, Shaw, IV, part II, p. 101, and was long ago described. ( 1) All the fishes of this genus attain a very large size. CENTRONOTus, Lacep. A genus of Scomberoldes characterized by the spines, which, in the Acanthopterygii in general, form the anterior portion of the dorsal, or a first separate dorsal, but in them are free and unconnected by a common membrane; they all have ventrals. They are subdivided as follows! NAuORATES, Rafin. Free dorsal spines; body fusiform; a carina in the sides of the tail as in the Tunny, and two free spines before the anal fin. 'rhe common species, or the Faufre of the sailors of Provence; Gasterosteus ductor, L.; Scomber ductor, BI., 338, is blue with broad vertical bands of a much deeper blue. The vulgar name of Pilot-fish owes its origin to the fact, that it follows vessels to seize upon what may fall from them; and as a similar habit is observed in the Shark, it has been said that the former acts as a guide or pilot to the latter; it is not above a foot long. A black species is found at Brazil, the Ceixupira, Marcgr., 158; Scomber niger, Bl. 337, which is eight or nine feet in length. ELAOATES. The general form of a N au crates, and its free dorsal spines; but the head is horizontally flattened, and both the caudal carina and the free spines before the anal are wanting.(2) (1) It has also been figured by Nieuhof, App.; Willugb., App., pl. V, f. 9, by Renard, I, pl. 34, f. 182, and 11, pl. 54, f. 233; by Valentyn, No. 527. The Gue· bucu, Marcgr. 171, hardly appears to differ from the species of India. lll. 345, is a falsified copy of a figure of Pr. Maurice, which differed much less from that of .Marcgrave. (2) El motta, Cuv., Pedda mottah, Russel, 153; El. americana, Cuv., Centro- \ |