19O October, 



A REMARKABLE FISH 



(UJVARUS IMPEKIAUS) 

 OBTAINED ON THE SOUTH COAST OF IRELAND. 



BY R. F. SCHARFF, PH.D. 



On the 24th July last a very peculiar fish was captured near 

 the "Seven Heads," one of the rocky promontories of the 

 southern coast of the County Cork. It was sent to the 

 market in Cork under the impression that it was a Sturgeon, 

 and was duly disposed of. 



Fortunately, Mr. J. E. Longfield, of Enniskean, Co. Cork, 

 had a curiosity to know more about the fish, and with the 

 true instincts of a naturalist he took careful measurements 

 and a photograph of it. He gives the length of the fish as 

 having been 4 feet 6 inches, and the weight about ij cwt. 

 The general colour he describes as a metallic reddy orange, 

 lighter underneath, which was easily rubbed off, leaving the 

 fish of a silvery colour all over. The tail and lateral fins were 

 of the brightest scarlet — almost vermilion. The first ray of 

 the dorsal fin was extended into a most peculiar looking 

 flexible tendril about one foot long with a similar extension 

 on the ventral fin. The mouth was small, with very small 

 if any teeth. Both dorsal and ventral fins were composed of 

 a series of semi-detached fins, and there was a slight projection 

 or keel at each side of the body near the tail. 



When these descriptions and the photograph arrived at the 

 Museum during my absence, Mr. Nichols identified the fish as 

 Luvarus imperialis — an exceedingly rare species, which, like 

 most other rare animals, possesses none but the scientific Latin 

 name. It had not hitherto been met with in the Irish seas. 



Although Mr. Longfield's description differs in some 

 important respects from the original one of the eminent. 

 French zoologist Rafinesque, I feel no hesitation in agreeing 

 with Mr. Nichols's determination of the fish. 



One of the most striking differences between the original 

 description and that of Mr. Longfield, is that the latter 

 describes the dorsal and ventral fins as being composed of a 

 series of smaller fins. However, in carefully examining the 

 photograph with a lens one perceives clearly — certainly in 



