. Natural history. Zoology. 486 PISCESSUB-CLASS III.—TELEOSTOML is very large. In habits these fish are carnivorous, some of them being pro- vided witli powerful incisor teetli, for the purpose of feeding on coral. More familiar than the last is the extensive and important family of the wrasses, or thick-lipped fishes, in which the scales have smooth margins (cycloid), and the pouting lips are often greatly thickened. Family Lahridm. As in the preceding family, the dorsal fin is single, with the spiny portion at least as well developed as the rayed, which is similar to the anal ; and the pelvi
. Natural history. Zoology. 486 PISCESSUB-CLASS III.—TELEOSTOML is very large. In habits these fish are carnivorous, some of them being pro- vided witli powerful incisor teetli, for the purpose of feeding on coral. More familiar than the last is the extensive and important family of the wrasses, or thick-lipped fishes, in which the scales have smooth margins (cycloid), and the pouting lips are often greatly thickened. Family Lahridm. As in the preceding family, the dorsal fin is single, with the spiny portion at least as well developed as the rayed, which is similar to the anal ; and the pelvic pair are thoracic in position, and com- prise five rays and a single spine. Whereas in some of the wrasses the body is deep, in others it is of a more elongated shape. Wrasses are coast fishes, mostly of carnivorous habits, which attain their maximum de- velopment in the tropical and temperate seas. Although their palates are unarmed, their jaws are Fig. 17.—SiEipED Wkasse. provided with a number of powerful teeth admirably suited for crushing the shell-fish on which these fishes chiefly subsist. Sea-anemones or corals afford, however, a preferable diet to some of the species, while a few are strict vegetarians. Wrasses are divided into a number of genera, which may be arranged in larger groups in correspondence with the conformation of the front teeth. In the typical Lahrax, of which the headquarters is the Medi- terranean, the jaw-teeth are conical and arranged in a single series. The two Bx'itish forms are the ballan (L. mcMidatus) and the striped wrasse {L. mixtus), of which the latter exhibits great sexual differences in coloration. The gold siimy represents in Britain a genus {Orenilahrus) differing from the true wrasses in having the edge of the preopercular bone serrated at all ages, instead of only in the young. Passing by many other types, brief reference must be made to the parrot- wrasses [Scarus), deriving their name from the confluence of the anterior teeth
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