26 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



1. Cantharus lineatus, Plate IX. 



Cantharus, Rondel, lib. v, c. iv, p. 120, c. fig. ; Gesner, 1598, fol. 22, c. fig. ; 

 Aldrovand. 2, c. 20, p. 185 ; Jonston, lib. i, t. iii, c. 5, art. 11, p. 72, t. xix, f. 5 ; 

 Willugh. lib. iv, c. viii, p. 309, t. v. f . 2 ; Ray, p. 130 ; Rutty, Dublin, i, p. 368. 

 Breme de Mer, Dubamel, pt. 2, sect, iv, pi. iv, f. 1. 



Sparus cantharus, Gmel. Linn. p. 1274 ; Bl. Schn. p. 17 ; Duhamel, Peches, ii, 

 Sect, iv, pi. vii, f. 1 ; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 223. 



Spams brama, Bloch, v, p. 77. 



Sparus lineatus, Montagu, Mem. Wern. Soc. ii, 1815, p. 451, pi. xxiii. 



Sparus vetula, Couch, Trans. Linn. Soc. 1822, xiv, p. 79. 



Sparus sciandra, Rosenth. Ich. Taf. t. xiv, f. 1. 



Pagrus lineatus, Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 211. 



Cantharus vulgaris and brama, Cuv. and Val. vi, pp. 319, 328, pi. clx ; Guichen. 

 Explor. Sc. Alger. Poiss. p. 53, and Ex. Sc. Moree, Zool. pi. xvii, f. 1, a. b. 



Gantharus griseus, Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 333 ; Jenyns, Brit. Vert. p. 358 ; 

 Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (Ed. 1) i, p. 114, c. fig. (Ed. 2) i, p. 130, (Ed. 3) ii, p. 156 ; 

 Lowe, Trans. Zool. Soc. ii, p. 178. 



Gantharus lineatus, Thompson, Ann. and Mag. (2), 1846, p. 313, and Nat. Hist. 

 Ireland, iv, p. 91 ; White, Catal. Brit. Fish. p. 16 ; Giinther, Cat. i, p. 414 

 Steind. Ich. Spanien u. Port. 1867, p. 47; Collett, Norges, Fiske, p. 17. 



Old wife, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, i, p. 222, pi. xlix. 



B. vi, D. \\, P. 14, V. 1/5, A. T V, C. 17, L. 1. 72, L. tr. 9/19, Ccec. pyl. 4, 



Vert. 10/14. 



Length of head 4^ to 4>\, of candal fin 5 to 6, height of body 2\ to 

 3 in the total length. Eye 3 to 3^ or in some large examples even 4 

 diameters in the length of the head, 3/4 to 1 diameter from end of snout, and 1 

 apart. Body compressed. The posterior extremity of the maxilla reaches to 

 beneath the front edge of the orbit. Posterior edge of preopercle finely roughened. 

 Opercular spine distinct. Lower edge of preorbital usually notched by the 

 maxilla, but sometimes entire. Teeth cardiform in both jaws, with the outer 

 row somewhat the largest and slightly compressed ; none on the vomer, palatines, 

 nor on the tongue. Fins dorsal spines of moderate strength, increasing in length 

 to the fourth and fifth. Pectoral as long as or slightly longer than the head. 

 Anal spines shorter than the rays. Caudal forked. Scales ctenoid, about 8 rows 

 below the eye over the cheek ; 16 rows between the lateral-line and base of ventral 

 fin. Ccecal appendages four, rather large. Air-bladder ending posteriorly in two 

 horns, which are separated one from the other by the interhsemal spines. Colours 

 gray, becoming lighter and dashed with gold on the sides and beneath : forehead 

 and cheeks purplish. Below the lateral-line are 3 or 4 parallel, or sometimes 

 irregularly horizontal golden bands, along the body. Dorsal fin dark, with 2 or 3 

 nearly black bands composed of spots. Pectoral, caudal, and anal straw-coloured. 

 Caudal gray-edged, margined externally with white : some bands of spots along 

 the anal. Ventrals slate-colour along the centre, with light or even white edges. 

 The colours in these fish are liable to considerable variation. 



Names. Black sea-bream : old wife. Rutty observes that in the county of 

 Dublin it was "vulgarly but improperly termed sea tench" but it is questionable 

 whether he referred to this fish. 



Habits. Prefers rocky ground, feeding on the finer kinds of sea weeds. It is 

 found in bays and harbours, and frequently captured by anglers fishing from the 

 shore, rocks or piers. Cuv. and Val. observe that the remains of Fuci 

 were detected in it. It is most abundant about July and August, after whi^h it 

 appears to retire to deeper water. Couch records an example captured as late in 

 the year as Christmas, after a cold season, and a second in February with the roe 

 well developed. In aqiiaria they are fond of shrimps. 



How captured. Generally in summer and autumn by baits, as lob worms or 

 pieces of mussel, or nets. 



