Salpa purpurascens variegata: The Lane-snapper.
All the Fish that I have observed of this Kind exceed not the Length
of a Foot, but were generally of the Size of the Figure: The Eye
large with a broad red Iris; the whole Body was covered with purple
Scales darken on the Back, and paler on the Belly, with Stripes
of yellow extending from the Nose to the Tail. On the Back was a
long spiny yellow Finn: on each Side the Gills were two purple Fins;
one single Finn grows from the fore-part of the Belly, and another
from behind the Anus which were both yellow. The Tail red and forked.
Petimbuabo Brasil: The Tobaccopipe-Fish.
This being the only Fish of the Kind I have seen, I cannot ascertain
the usual Size of it. This was almost a Foot in Length; the forepart
from the Nose to half Way the Body near of an equal Bigness, from
which it grew tapering to the Tail, which was forked and from which
grows a slender taper Whip four Inches long, of the Consistence
of a Whalebone; the Mouth narrow, from which to the Eyes was almost
three Inches. On the Back were placed three small Finns at equal
Distances; Under the Belly and opposite to those of the Back were
also three of the like Finns; The whole Fish was of a brown Colour.
They are sometimes taken on the Coasts of Jamaica, whence
I had this.
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