On Sun, 12 Sep 2004 11:33:58 +0100, The Reids wrote:

> "the conger, king of the sea, wearing its jacket of jewelled scales"
> Isobel Allende, "My invented country" (in translation by an American
> professor of Spanish)
>
> Conger eel has no jewelled scales, what is this chilean fish, chilean sea
> bass mistranslated?

I don't think a Chilean Sea Bass/Icefish/Patagonian Toothfish/Mero has
jewelled scales either. It's a cod like thing (but even more endangered).

One of these perhaps:

Beyond the shadow of the ship,
I watched the water-snakes :
They moved in tracks of shining white,
And when they reared, the elfish light
Fell off in hoary flakes.

Within the shadow of the ship
I watched their rich attire :
Blue, glossy green, and velvet black,
They coiled and swam ; and every track
Was a flash of golden fire.

(from the Ancient Mariner, just before the Albatross falls off)

Regards, Ian