To those
who are versed in ichthyology, these are known as pharyngeal teeth,
because they are connected with the pharynx. Such teeth are present
in some form or other in all true fish, but usually in a degraded
form. In the rainbow and parrot fish they are highly specialised,
otherwise the pulverisation of the hard shell of molluscs would be
impossible. The interior of the mouth of certain species of the shark
family, given specially to a diet of oysters, is thickly set with
a series of uniformly diffused minute teeth, and another fish of
these seas has a gizzard composed of an intensely tough material,
lined with membrane resembling shark's skin. This fish swallows
cockles and such like molluscs whole, and grinds them in its gizzard.
And the colouring of this wonderful creature! The semi-transparent
dorsal fin, which extends without a break from the back of the head
to the tail, is broad and slightly scalloped. It displays an upper
edging of radiant blue, a broad band of iridescent pink with greenish
opal-like lights, and a narrow streak of the richest emerald green,
close along the back. The body is covered with large scales, the
colouring of which conveys a general appearance of an elaborate
system of slightly elongated hexagons, generally blue outlined with
pink, sometimes golden-yellow combined with green; and the colours flash
and change with indescribable radiance.
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