Pinna ani radius 55, caudali falcata. The body of this fish is of various colours; the fin of the anus has 55 streaks, and its tail is in the form of a crescent. The head is without scales; it is brown upon the upper part, yellow above the eyes, and of a silver colour on the sides. The back is round, and adorned with beautiful blue streaks in a serpentine form; and the belly bright as silver. The fins of the breast are round, and, like those of the belly, have a yellow ground with a grey border; that of the back is of a violet colour; that of the anus is straw coloured; and, lastly, that of the tail is yellow on the sides, red towards the middle, and bordered with a deep blue. We are as yet ignorant of its length.

There is a variety of this fish found only in the Indian seas, and therefore called the Indian peacock fish; which is thus described in the language of Linnæus: Pavo pinna cauduli forcipata: spinis dorsofilius 14: ocello caruleo pone oculto. It has the fin of its tail forked; 14 sharp points or pricks on the back, with a round blue streak behind the eyes.

The body of this fish is of an elliptical form; the head is covered with scales to the tip of the snout; the two jaws are armed with long and sharp teeth; the ball of the eye is black, and the iris of a white colour, with a mixture of green. At the insertion of the fins of the belly is found a bony substance. The head, back, and sides, are of a yellow colour, more or less deep, and covered with lines or streaks of sky-blue. These colours are so agreeably mixed, that they resemble the elegance of the peacock's tail.