THE ANGLER FAMILY. 149 



The next stage, which is separated by a considerable gap 

 from the foregoing, is that procured in May of the following 

 year, and which is considered by Mr J. R. Tosh in his paper 1 as 

 one year and three months old. It measures from 50 to 67 mm. 

 (in July) svith marked adult characters, such as the flattening 

 of the ridges on the head and of the spines on the body, the 

 prominent condition of the nasal and opercular spines, the 

 barred appearance of the breast-fins and their proportionally 

 smaller size, and the bleaching of the anal fin. Other features 

 now present are the variegated condition of both dorsals, and 

 the pale border to the darkly-tinted caudal. The filaments 

 on the chin and adjoining region (branchiostegal) are now con- 

 siderably longer. In July, those of the same series reach from 67 

 to 76 mm., and in December 67 to 87 mm., and it may be that 

 those of 110 mm. pertain to the same group, making the age, 

 according to Mr Tosh, of 1 year and 10^ months in the latter 

 case (110 mm.). Well-grown female adults of 138 to 144 mm., 

 with ripe eggs in December, are probably, as the author just 

 quoted says, about 2 years and 8 or 10 months old. 



The life-history of this species seems to be as follows : The 

 adults haunt the sandy flats of the bays and estuaries, and at 

 the breeding-season leave these to deposit their eggs amongst 

 the roots of tangles. From the eggs issue larvae at an advanced 

 stage of development, which soon become brightly coloured 

 and assume a pelagic existence for a considerable time ; then 

 they settle on the bottom like their parents. Meanwhile, how- 

 ever, they have been carried to new districts it may be at 

 great distances from their birthplace. 



The Angler Family. Pediculati. 



THE ANGLER-FISH. (Lophius piscatorius, L.) 



This species, also called the Frog-fish, is somewhat isolated 

 by its peculiar structure. Its huge gaping jaws, large flattened 

 head crowned by three free fin-rays of a peculiar shape, the 

 1 12th Ann. Rcpt. S. F. B. Part in, p. 384. 



