THE GREY MULLET FAMILY. 223 



THE SHARP-TAILED LUMPENUS. (Lumpenus 

 lampretiformis, Walb.) 



This species was one of the additions to the British fauna 

 made during the Trawling Expeditions for the Royal Commis- 

 sion (under Lord Dalhousie) in 1884 \ 



A female captured off the Carr Lightship on the 23rd 

 February- had the ovaries small and slightly developed, the 

 eggs measuring from O2286 to 0'3048 mm., most ranging 

 themselves round the latter diameter. They were therefore at 

 a comparatively early stage, thus corresponding proportionately 

 with those procured from the Moray Frith by Mr G. Sim, in 

 which the roe was "pretty well advanced at the end of April, 

 much more so than the milt of the males." Fries took a female 

 190 mm. long in January, and it had evidently just deposited 

 its spawn ; accordingly the authors of the Scandinavian Fishes 

 consider the spawning-season to be winter. The ripe eggs are, 

 however, unknown. 



The Grey Mullet Family. 



THE GREY OR THIN-LIPPED MULLET. (Mugil capito, Cuv.) 



Day thinks this species breeds in winter. Raffaele refers 

 to the pelagic egg (Plate II, fig. 3) of a species of mullet 

 (probably M. capito, the grey mullet) procured in summer, and 

 gives its diameter as 1 mm. and the oil-globule 0'20 mm., so 

 that the latter is comparatively large. The pigment developed 

 in the egg was black. The larva (Plate VIII, fig. 7) has a 

 very large oil-globule at the posterior border of the yolk, and a 

 considerable pre-anal fin separates the latter from the vent. 

 Black pigment is dotted along the dorsum and head and forms 

 a well- marked bar some distance behind the vent, with a 

 smaller one midway between it and the tip of the tail, and 

 yellowish pigment is also present. A speck or two occur in 

 the dorsal marginal fin above the large bar. 



1 Dr F. Day, Proceed. Zool. Soc. 1884, p. 445. 



2 Vide 12th Ann. Rept. Scot. Fishery Board, p. 225. 1894. 



