_S. suprà viridi-niger, subtùs pallidior; lateribus smaragdino pallido
aspersis; pinnis anali, caudali, dorsalique posticè, apicibus
croceis; dentibus velutinis, caninis in maxillâ superiore utrinque
apicem versus duobus sub-fortibus; preoperculo margine prope recto
denticulato; denticulis ad angulum paulò majoribus; operculo
mucronibus tribus planis, intermedio maximo; rostro toto, et maxillâ
inferiore, squamatis._
B. 7; D. 11/15; A. 3/8; C. 17, &c.; P. 17; V. 1/5.
LONG. unc. 4¼.
FORM.—Back very little elevated; the greatest depth rather less than
one-fourth of the entire length. Nape slightly depressed, with which
exception, the dorsal line from the commencement of the dorsal fin
to the crown of the head, is nearly horizontal: from between the
eyes to the end of the snout, the profile is considerably convex.
Head rather more than one-third of the entire length. Eyes large,
their diameter about one-fourth the length of the head, high in the
cheeks, and distant rather less than a diameter from the end of the
snout. Lower jaw longer than the upper. The teeth above consist of a
narrow velutine band, with a few, a little behind the anterior
extremity, longer than the others, but slender and curving
backwards; in front, and on each side of the extremity are two
moderate canines: beneath there is a narrow band of velutine and
fine card mixed, but no canines. The lower jaw, and the snout quite
to the extremity, as well as the suborbitals, are covered with
minute scales, but not the maxillary. The preopercle has the
ascending margin nearly rectilineal, and finely denticulated; the
angle at bottom rather sharp, and the denticles at this part, as
well as immediately above it, rather more developed than the others.
Opercle with three flat points; the upper and lower ones equal, the
middle one larger, but not projecting so far as the membrane. Dorsal
spines invested with membranous tags at their tips; of nearly equal
lengths, with the exception of the first two; the third and fourth a
little the longest: the soft portion of the fin higher than the
spinous. Anal rounded, terminating sooner than the dorsal; the
second spine a trifle longer than the third, as well as stouter. The
caudal is injured, but appears to have been square, or perhaps
slightly rounded. Rows of minute scales between the rays of all the
vertical fins.
COLOUR.—“Dark greenish, black above, beneath lighter; sides marked
with light emerald green: tips of the anal, caudal, and hinder part
of the dorsal, saffron yellow; tips of the pectorals orpiment
orange.”—D. These colours have been much altered by the action of
the spirit. The general ground is now dusky lead, mottled and
sprinkled on the sides with dirty white. There is an appearance of
four oblong black spots on the upper part of the back beneath the
base of the dorsal, not noticed by Mr. Darwin. The tips of the fins
have entirely lost their bright colours.
Habitat, Porto Praya, St. Jago, Cape Verde Islands.
This species was also obtained at Porto Praya, off Quail Island. It
belongs to that division of the genus which Cuvier has distinguished by
the name of _Mérou_, and to his section of _Mérous piquetés_; but it
will not accord with any of those described in the “Histoire des
Poissons.” There is only one specimen of it in the collection, which is
small, and probably not full-sized.
4. SERRANUS LABRIFORMIS. _Jen._
PLATE III.
_S. fusco-flavo, nigro, alboque variatus; dorsali rubro-marginatâ;
spinis fortibus, subæqualibus, ad apices laciniis membranaceis
investitis; dentibus aculeiformibus,[3] valdè retroflexis, seriebus
internis majoribus; caninis, in maxillâ superiore duobus, in
inferiore quatuor, mediocribus; preoperculo margine arcuato, vix
denticulato; operculo mucrone unico plano, modico, armato; squamis
infra lineam lateralem ciliatis, supra et in ventre lævibus._
B. 7; D. 11/17; A. 3/8; C. 15, &c.; P. 18; V. 1/5.
LONG. unc. 17.
FORM.—Oblong-oval, with very much the aspect of a _Labrus_. The
greatest depth, which is beneath the commencement of the dorsal, is
rather less than one-fourth of the entire length. The head is large,
and nearly one-third of the same. The profile, from the dorsal to
the end of the snout, curves gradually downwards in one continuous
bend. The lower jaw projects a little beyond the upper. The teeth
form a broadish band of fine card in both jaws, with the inner rows
longer and more curved than the outer; in the upper jaw, a little
behind the anterior extremity, are three or four longer than the
others, and curving so much backwards as almost to be laid flat; at
the posterior part of this jaw on each side they pass into velutine.
The canines are strong, but not very long; in number two above and
four below, not exactly in front, but a little on each side of the
middle. The teeth on the vomer and palatines are velutine. The eyes
are moderately large, high in the cheeks, equidistant from the upper
angle of the preopercle and the end of the snout, with a diameter
rather less than one-sixth the length of the head: the distance
between them about equals their diameter. The margin of the
suborbital is entire, but a little sinuous. The maxillary is large,
and cut nearly square at its posterior extremity: it is nearly all
exposed, and reaches to beneath the posterior part of the orbit. The
nostrils are a little in advance of the eyes, and consist of two
round openings, one before the other, the posterior one being the
largest. The whole head, including the lower jaw, is covered with
small scales, which become more minute towards the extremity of the
snout, but are very visible even there: there are none, however,
apparent on the maxillary. The preopercle has the basal angle
rounded, and the ascending margin a little convex outwards, and
denticulated, but the denticles are minute and not very obvious. The
opercle and subopercle together (the line of separation between
which is scarcely apparent) form a triangle. The former terminates
posteriorly in one flat spine, moderately developed, not reaching to
the extremity of the membranous angle by twice its own length. The
lateral line, which is rather indistinct, is nearly parallel to the
back at a little below one-fourth of the depth. The scales on the
body below the lateral line are rough, but those above it, as well
as those on the belly, nearly smooth: one taken from the middle of
the side is of an oblong form, rounded at the free extremity, which
is finely dotted and ciliated; its whole surface finely striated,
with nine or ten deeper striæ at the base. The pectorals are
attached low down, rounded at the extremity, and about half the
length of the head. The dorsal commences immediately above them, and
is tolerably even throughout its course, extending nearly to the
caudal. The membrane is rather deeply notched between the spines,
which are very stout and invested at their tips with membranaceous
tags, as in the _Labridæ_. The first spine is only half the length
of the second and third; the fourth is a little the longest,
equalling two-fifths of the depth of the body; the fifth and
succeeding ones decrease very gradually to the tenth, which is
rather more than half the length of the fourth; the eleventh is a
little longer, and is followed by the soft rays, the longest of
which is about equal to the longest of the spinous. The anal
commences about in a line with the second soft ray in the dorsal,
and terminates before that fin, leaving double the distance between
it and the caudal; first spine not half the length of the second and
third, which are about equal, and much stouter; soft portion of the
fin of a rounded form, with the middle rays nearly double the length
of the second and third spines. Caudal even, or very slightly
rounded, without any rows of scales between the rays. Ventrals a
little shorter than the pectorals, immediately beneath them,
pointed.
[Illustration:
_Fish. Pl. 3._
_Drawn from Nature on stone by Waterhouse Hawkins._
_Serranus labriformis. ½ Nat. Size._
]
[Illustration:
_Fish Pl. 4._
_W. Hawkins del._
_Serranus olfax. ½ Nat. Size._
]
COLOUR.—“Mottled with brown-yellow, black and white: upper and lower
edges of the caudal, edges of the dorsal and anal, ‘arterial’ and
purplish red.”—D.
Habitat, Galapagos Archipelago.
Obtained off Chatham Island in the Galapagos Archipelago. There can be
little doubt of its being an undescribed species, well characterized by
its _labriform_ appearance, as regards the fins, rounded and nearly
entire margin of the preopercle, and scales smooth _above_, but rough
_beneath_ the lateral line.
5. SERRANUS OLFAX. _Jen._
PLATE IV.
_S. fusco-variatus; spinis dorsalibus ad apices laciniis investitis;
naribus orbiculatis, aperturâ unica magnâ, duas minores includenti;
dentibus aculeiformibus, retroflexis, seriebus paucis; caninis, in
maxillâ superiore duobus, in inferiore quatuor, cæteris vix
fortioribus; preoperculo margine adscendenti prope recto, angulum
versus paulum sinuato, vix denticulato; operculo mucronibus duobus,
parvis, subæqualibus, armato; squamis ubique lævibus._
B. 7; D. 11/18; A. 3/11; C. 17, &c.; P. 17; V. 1/5.
LONG. unc. 23½.
FORM.—Rather elongated, with the dorsal and ventral lines equally
curved, and neither departing much from a straight line. Depth, in
the region of the pectorals, equalling rather more than one-fifth of
the entire length. Head contained three and a half times in the
same. Profile sloping gradually from the commencement of the dorsal
to the end of the snout in one continuous very gentle curve. The
lower jaw a little the longest. The teeth are in strong card in both
jaws, their points curving inwards and backwards: those above
longest anteriorly, where they form about three rows; posteriorly
they become velutine, as in the last species, and consist of not
more than two rows: in the lower jaw the teeth are equally large at
the sides as in front, and, excepting quite at the anterior
extremity, in only two rows, the inner of which is stronger than the
outer. The canines are small, and scarcely stronger than the other
teeth; in number[4] and situation, the same as in the _S.
labriformis_. The vomerine and palatine teeth are very fine
velutine. Eyes rather large, and high in the cheeks, equidistant
from the upper angle of the preopercle and the intermaxillary, with
a diameter about one-seventh the length of the head: the distance
between them equals one diameter and one-third. The margin of the
suborbital is entire, and nearly straight. The maxillary, when the
mouth is closed, reaches to beneath the middle of the orbit. The
nostrils are a little in advance of the eyes, and consist of one
large, nearly circular, aperture, enclosing two smaller ones, which
are also circular and placed equally in advance. The crown, and
space between the eyes, and entire cheeks, are covered with small
scales; there are also some minute ones on the lower jaw, and on the
extremity of the snout before the eyes; but they are scarcely
obvious, if present, on the first suborbital, and not at all
perceptible on the maxillary. The preopercle is rather more than
rectangular; the basal margin nearly straight and horizontal; the
angle rather sharp; the ascending margin with a slight sinuosity
just above the angle, afterwards straight and nearly vertical, very
obsoletely denticulated throughout its course. The osseous portion
of the opercle terminates posteriorly in two flat points, nearly
equal, but the lower one rather the more developed, between which it
is emarginate. The angle of the membrane is considerably produced
beyond the lower point. The line of separation between the opercle
and subopercle is tolerably obvious. Gill-opening large. All the
pieces of the gill-cover are covered with scales scarcely smaller
than those on the body. The scales on the body are not large, of an
oblong form, with their free edges scarcely at all ciliated, not
enough to feel rough to the touch; their whole surface very finely
striated, with twelve deeper striæ on the basal half, and the basal
margin crenated. Lateral line not very conspicuous, parallel to the
back at about one-fourth of the depth. The dorsal commences in a
line with the posterior angle of the opercle, and occupies a space
equalling half the entire length, caudal excluded: spines strong,
and tagged at their extremities; the second longest, equalling not
quite half the depth; third and succeeding ones gradually decreasing
to the tenth, which is about half the length of the second; the
eleventh again longer; then follow the soft rays, which are nearly
even, but all higher than the last spinous. The anal commences in a
line with the third soft ray in the dorsal, and terminates a little
before that fin: first spine very short; the third longest, but the
second stoutest: of the soft rays the third and fourth are longest,
and nearly twice the length of the third spine, being longer than
the soft rays in the dorsal; from the fourth they gradually
decrease, giving this portion of the fin a rounded form. The caudal
is nearly even, but the central rays are a little shorter than the
outer ones. There are no rows of scales between the soft rays of the
dorsal and anal, and scarcely any trace of them between those of the
caudal. The pectorals are rounded, attached low down, and about half
the length of the head. Ventrals directly beneath them, shorter, and
more pointed.
COLOUR.—“Mottled brown.”—D. The dried skin appears nearly of a uniform
brown, simply a little paler beneath. There is some indication of a
whitish band along the base of the anal and soft dorsal, which may
be the remains of a brighter colour. The base of the pectorals and
ventrals is also paler than the extremity of those fins.
Habitat, Galapagos Archipelago.
This species was also obtained at Chatham Island, in the Galapagos,
where Mr. Darwin states that it is common. In some of its characters it
approaches the _S. labriformis_, but in others it is essentially
different. It rather departs from most of the _Serrani_ in the teeth,
and in the small development of the canines. The nostrils also are
rather peculiar. Perhaps it may one day be found to constitute the type
of a distinct genus.