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Show 170 PISCES. MuGIL, Lin. These fishes present so many peculiarities in their organization, that they may be considered as forming a distinct family; their body is almost cylindrical, covered with large scales, and furnished with two separate dorsals, the first of which has but four spinous rays; the ventrals are inserted a little behind the pectorals. There are six rays in the branchire; their head is somewha~ depressed, and covered with large scales or polygonal plates, the1r muzzle very short. Their transverse mouth, in consequence of a prominence in the middle of the lower jaw, which corresponds with a depression in the upper one, forms an angle, the teeth being excessively tenuous, and frequently almost imperceptible. Their pharyngeal bones, highly developed, give an angular form to the opening of the resophagus, similar to that of the mouth, which only permits fluids or very small matters to pass into the stomach, notwithstanding which, this sto· mach terminates in a sort of fleshy gizzard, analogous to that of Birds: they have but few pyloric appendages, but the intestine is long and doubled. They resort to the mouths of rivers in large troops, and are con· tinually leaping out of the water; the European seas produce several species hitherto very imperfectly ascertained; their flesh is esteem· ed.(l) M. cephalus, Cuv. (The Common Mullet.) Distinguished from all the other species of Europe by its eyes, which are half covered by two adipose veils, adhering to the anterior and pos· terior edge of the orbit; by the fact, that when the mouth is closed, the maxillary is completely hidden under t~e sub-orbital; and by the base of the pectoral being surmounted by a long and carinated crest. The nasal openings are separated from each other, and the teeth are tolerably prominent. It is the largest and best of the Mediterranean species. We have not seen it on the Atlantic coast of' Europe, but its characters are visible in several species of India and of America.(2) Another species 143, is at least very closely allied, and several new species to be described in our Icthyology. ( 1) Linn reus and several of his successors have confounded all the European Mullets under a single species, their Mugil cephalus. (2) America produces five or six species badly characterized and confoun~e~ by Linn., under the name of M. albula. Among the number is the M. Plumten, lll., become a Sphyrrena in Bl., Schn., p. 110, and the M. lineatus, Mitch. The true cephalus of the Mediterranean is found on the whole African coast. Add, of species from India, the Bontah, Russel, II, 180, ot· the M. our. of Forsk., perhaps the same as our cephalus;-the Kunnuee, ld.181;-M. corsula, Buch., pl. ix, 97. ACANTHOPTERYGII. 171 nearly as large and common to the Mcditer1·anean and the ocean is the Jill. capita, Cuv.; the Romando of Nice. The maxillary visible behind the commissure of the jaws even when the mouth is closed! much weaker teeth; nasal orifices approximated; the skin of the edge of the orbit not extending to the globe of the eye; the sur-pectoral scale short and obtuse; a black spot at the base of the latter fin. ( 1) Two smaller species, M. auratus, and M. saltator, Risso, approach the capita; the maxillary of the first is hidden under the sub-orbital as in the cephalus, but the nasal orifices are approximated as in the capita; the other, with the characters of the capito, has an emarginated sub-orbital which allows the end of the jaw to be seen.(2) A third large species also common to both seas, is the M. chelo, Cuv. Particularly distinguished by its extremely bulky fleshy lips, whose edges are ciliated, and by teeth which dip into their substance like so many hairs; the maxillary is recurved, and shows itself behind the commissure. M. labeo, Cuv., a small, Mediterranean species, has, in proportion to its size, still larger lips, with crenated borders. Several of these thick lipped species are found in the Indian Ocean.(3) The TETRAGONURus, Risso, So called from the two salient crests that are found on each side near the base of the caudal, is another of these insulated genera, which seem to indicate particular families. These fishes are partly allied to the Mullets, and partly to the Scomberoides. Their body is elongated; their spinous dorsal long but very low, the soft one approximated to it, short but higher, and the anal corresponding to the latter; the ventrals are a little distance behind the pectorals. The (1) 1'his appears to us to be the species particularly described by Willoughby and figured by Pennant. (2) Add the M. christian, Voy. Freycin. ;-.~.: W. Fe1-randi, lb. ;-M. parsia, Buch., pl. xvii, f. 71;-M. carcasia, Id.;-M. peradalc, Cuv., n.uss. 182. (3) M. crenilabis, Forsk.;-M. cirrhosthomus, Forst., App. lll., Schn.,.121. N.B. The M. creruleo-maculatus, Lacep. V, 389, the same represented under the n~me of cr~ilabis, pl. xiii, f. 1, belongs to the same group as the cap ito. The Mu· r;tlappendtculatus, Bose., or Mugilom07'e .O.nne·Caroline, Lacep., V, 398, is nothing else than the elopa, which is also the fact as respects the Mugil salmoneus, Forst., BI., Schn. 121;-Mugil cinereus, Walbaum, Catesb. II, xi, 2, is a Gerres;-the M. chanoa, Forsk., belongs to the Cyprinidre. \ |
