FISHES. 



251 



related to lislies called Liparididte, which, in their turn, are related to the Cottidap, and 

 thus indirectly the affinities of the Cyclopteridaj have been traced. 



The common lump-sucker — Ct/clojttei-us lumpiis — is by far the largest of the 

 family. It rejoices in many names in addition to lurap-suekcr, such as lum])-fish, sea- 

 owl, eoek-paidle, hen-]iaidlc. It may be at once recognized by the tubercles which 

 cover the skin, some of which are enlarged, spiniferous, and arranged in seven longi- 

 tudinal rows, a median doi-sal, and three on each side ; a hump becomes developed 

 with age on each side of the spinous dorsal, thus concealing it ; the ventral disk is 



Fig. Iti. — Vyctopterus lumpus, lumiJ-asU, and Zuanxs vivijiarna. 



small. Sometimes it reaches a considerable size, a Massachusetts specimen eighteen 

 and three-fourths pounds having been reported, but the largest English one found 

 weighed only eleven and a half jiounds. Both of these were giants, and the average 

 is very much smaller. 



The lump-sucker, in the well-eonsidei-ed words of Benecke, "lives on the bottom of 

 the sea, swims slowly and with difficulty, and in May and June comes into sliallow water 

 to sjjawn. The male makes pits in the sand between the stones, in which the female 

 deposits its eggs. The male watches over the eggs, and later over the tender yoinig. 



