198 THE LEPADOGASTER FAMILY. 



disappearing rapidly. Such stages are met with in September 

 and October. 



In December, the young bimaculated suckers reach lo'o mm., 

 and then occur in the stomachs of food-fishes. Long before 

 this stage all trace of the caudal notochord has disappeared. 

 The tip of the snout is much more flattened, and the eyes 

 proportionally larger and more prominent. The sucker has also 

 proportionally increased in size. 



In February the young are from 21 to 22 mm. in length, 

 and more or less resemble the adult, though the tail is large 

 and shows two or three additional rays; that is, about 15 

 instead of 12. The vent is now nearly median ; whereas, in 

 those of 10 mm., it was situated at the commencement of the 

 posterior third. It also presents symmetrical longitudinal rugae 

 which end in short papillae around the aperture. The rays in 

 both dorsal and anal fins are 6 (Day gives D. 5-7, A. 4-6). 

 The anterior division of the sucker is minutely papillose, so that 

 its free margin seems to be serrated ; and the surface of the 

 median area and two lateral arms is covered for some distance 

 with the same papillae. The surface of the larger posterior 

 division is also minutely papillose, but the margin has none of 

 the larger papillae seen in the anterior division. A thin serrate 

 or crenate membrane forms a broad border to the posterior half 

 of its margin, and at this stage, it is, in some at any rate, quite 

 free from the margin of the sucker. A broad diaphanous and 

 striated flap runs forward from it to the base of the pectoral, 

 thus resembling a miniature duplication of the former. The 

 body is now variegated with reddish tints in the males, pale 

 patches occurring along the dorsum. The ventral surface seems 

 to be pale. 



At 25 mm. the colours in a young male from St Andrews in 

 June are even more brilliant, the bright red of the eyes and the 

 sides of the body being characteristic. The anterior margin of 

 the first division of the sucker is now flattened out, and the 

 papilla?, on the surface are less distinct, while the marginal ones 

 are flattened and more membranous. The accessory flap on the 

 posterior half of the second division is united with the margin 

 of the sucker (a feature, it may be, characteristic of the sex), so 



