CEPO'LA (Linn:elm), a genus of Fishes belonging to the section Aeantkopterygii and family Tenioidei. The technical characters of this genus are :—Body much elongated, compreased, and tapering gradually towards the tail, which is pointed ; head (when viewed from the side) about the same width as the body ; snout short and obtuse ; under jaw curved upwards ; teeth curved and well developed ; dorsal fin extending from the head to the tail (which is pointed); anal fin extending thence nearly the whole length of the body; branehi ostegoua membrane with six rays.
C. rshwcens, the Red Band-Fish and Red Snake-Fish, has been found on the British coasts, but is not uncommon in the Mediterra nean. It Is of a pale carmine colour, and varies from 10 to 15 inches in length ; it In very smooth and almost destitute of scales ; the body ia slender, much compressed, and tapers very gradually from the head to the taiL The riband-like and compressed form of the body increases with age; the young are somewhat oval, or almost round.
The pectoral fins are small ; the ventruls are situated rather anterior to the line of the origin of the pectorals, and have the first ray epinous. The dorsal and anal fins both extend to and join the tail, or caudal fin (which terminates in a point), so that they form one continued (Yarrelfs ' British Fishes; Jenyn's 'Manual of British Verte brate Animals ; Linn:can ' Transactions,' vol. vii., &c., where this fish was recorded as British for the first time by Colonel Montagu.) C. tcrnia (Linnaeus) is said to differ from species just described in having a row of hard points along the Ride of the body above the lateral line, and in having an Inner row of teeth in the lower jaw : it is however very probably not a distinct species.