262 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Crenilabrus gibbus, Fleming, p. 209 ; Cuv. and Val. xiii, p. 175 ; Yarrell, Brit. 

 Fish. (Ed. 1) i, p. 298, c. fig. 



Cynoedus gibbus, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 229. 



Pennant's example, eiglit inches long, came from Anglesea. 



B. v, D. *%-_, P. 14, V. 1/5, A. 3 T o, C. 14, L. 1. 32-35, L. tr. 4/12, Vert. 

 15/18. 



Length of head 4 to 4 J, of candal fin 5 to 6, height of body Si to 3^ in the 

 total length. Eye diameter 4| in the length of the head, 1^- diameters from 

 the end of the snout, and 1 to 1^- apart. Hind edge of preopercle evenly serrated. 

 The posterior extremity of the maxilla does not reach to beneath the orbit. 

 Teet h conical, and in a single row in either jaw. Fins dorsal spines of moderate 

 strength, gradually increasing in height to the last ; soft portion of the fin a little 

 higher than the last spine and rounded. Third anal spine the longest. Caudal 

 rounded, or nearly square. Scales to 6 rows on the cheeks below the eyes : 

 opercles scaled. Lateral-line curves downwards beneath the last few dorsal rays. 

 Colours these vary exceedingly, being reddish or purplish-brown along the back, 

 greenish-yellow on the sides, and light beneath. In well-marked examples about 

 eight vertical dark brown bands descend from the back, the posterior eight of 

 which are continued to the abdomen, and close to the base of the caudal fin on or 

 below the lateral-line, is a dark spot. Usually these bands on the body are broken 

 up and appear as irregular blotches. A dark band surrounds the lips, and one 

 portion is continued backwards to the centre of the front of the eye, while another 

 passes along the under edge of the eye to its posterior margin, where it forms 

 a dark spot. Three or four yellow, red, or green bands cross the cheeks and 

 opercles. The markings on the vertical fins are very various, three or four of 

 the body bands may be continued on to the dorsal fin, and two or three on to 

 the anal, where they join, forming arches. Or two dark bands may pass along 

 the spinous dorsal, and rings of red or yellow with dark centres may be present 

 on the soft portion : the caudal being similarly coloured. The anal may be 

 marked as the soft dorsal, or have two or three rows of dark round spots. 

 Pectoral with a dark band at its base, and two or three light ones across it. 



Varieties. -The height of the body in this species, as compared with its length, 

 is subject to very great differences. The colours, as already observed, differ very 

 widely, and any of those adverted to, may be variously disposed in different 

 individuals. The spot at the base of the caudal fin, also that behind the eye, may 

 be entirely absent. 



Couch introduces Baillon's wrass, G. Baillonii, c. v, into his History of British 

 Fishes, on the strength of an example 7j inches in length. He observed that he 

 did so " with some degree of hesitation ; but a drawing of one which came a few 

 years since into my possession " came so near to a description of Baillon's wrass 

 that he inserted it. I received from Mr. Carrington, f.l.s., in 1879, a beautiful 

 example of G. melops, which, having been kept some time in spirit, lost nearly 

 all its markings, and became similar to Couch's figure, pi. cxxxii. But it has five 

 rows of scales across the cheeks below the eye, not three as found in G. Baillonii. 



Names. Sea-partridge, Moray Firth; the Conner, gilt-head, or golden-maid. 

 Tie Grenilabre melope, French. 



Habits. Gregarious, and is usually found in shallower water than most of 

 the other forms of wrasses. It has been taken in rock pools, but Parnell observed 

 in the Firth of Forth that it often frequented deep and rocky recesses in 

 preference to more open and sandy situations. It feeds on Crustacea and animal 

 substances, on small shells, and even vegetable matter. 



Means of cup/ are. Takes a bait readily, especially a bit of mussel ; but Parnell 

 observed that in the Firth of Forth it is hardly ever secured by a hook, but 

 mostly found in crab cages and lobster pots. 



Breeding. "April and May, and in June, July, and August ; the young, of a 

 bright green colour, may be taken in pools with a shrimp net " (R. Couch). 



Uses. As bait for crabs and lobsters. 



