22 



TUBFISH. 



With a general tendency to the same form as the Elleck, 

 this fish is proportionally much stouter, and reaches a consid- 

 erably larger size. I have known it to weigh almost eleven 

 pounds. The head is short and stout, broad over the top, 

 with a slight depression; the eyes separated more than in other 

 British species. The sloj)ing from the eyes to the snout 

 steep; mouth beneath; gill-covers rough, moderately armed. 

 Teeth fine, numerous, wanting at the symphysis. Body round, 

 tapering towards the tail; lateral line smooth, prominent, and 

 straight; an obscure row of spines on each side of the dorsal 

 fins. The pectoral fins are wide, but there is some difference 

 in their extension in different examples, sometimes reaching 

 to two inches beyond the vent, and at other times scarcely 

 extending so far as that organ. I have even found a difference 

 in this respect between the two sides of the same fish. 



The colour of the head, back, and sides, without the dorsal 

 fins and tail, is red, more or less bright, but sometimes brown 

 along the upper portion; yellower below the lateral line, and 

 white on the belly. The pectoral fin a lively blue, especially 

 on its upper surface and the ends of the rays; anal fin pale, 

 tinted with red. 



Fin rays first dorsal eight, second dorsal seventeen, anal 

 sixteen, pectoral eleven, ventral six. The two last rays of the 

 second dorsal and anal fins rise from one root; the ventral 

 fins large, separate, scalloped, and fastened down with a lateral 

 border. But as regards the rays in the root of the dorsal 

 and anal fins in the several species of the genus, there is 

 frequent variation, and dependence must not be placed on it as 

 a specific character. 



