2 FISHES AND FISHERIES OF THE IRISH SEA, 
occurrence of a few of the species. We are indebted to Mr. Ernest W. L. Holt, Scientific 
Adviser to the Fisheries Branch of the Department of Agriculture, for information about 
some of the rarer species, to which he had paid special attention. 
We have records in all of 141 species of fishes which have been found in the Irish Sea. 
Of these the following 15, viz., Sebas/es norvegicus (Norway haddock), Scomber colias (Spanish 
mackerel), Oreynus thynnus (Tunny), Thyanus pelamys (Bonito), Echenets remora (Remora), 
Lampris luna (King-fish), Caranx trachurus (Horse-mackerel), Xzphias gladius (Sword-fish), 
Sct@na aguila (Shade-fish), EAxocawtus evolvans (Flying-fish), Orthagoriscus mola (Sun-fish), 
Zygena malleus (Hammer-shark), Alopias vulpes (Thresher), Torpedo nobiliana (Torpedo), and 
Trvgon pastinaca (Sting-ray), must be considered as Oceanic or foreign fishes which only 
occasionally or accidentally visit our seas. They cannot be regarded, therefore, as contributing 
to our markets. Then a considerable number, about 85 species, are small or inedible fish, 
which are not dealt with by fishermen or fishmongers. But it must not be supposed on 
that account that they are of no economic importance. They all have their food, and 
their enemies and competitors ; some serve as food for larger fish, and many may exercise 
an important influence on living things around them. As examples of these non-marketable 
fish may be given :—Agonus cataphractus (Pogge), Lophius piscatorius (Angler), Solea lutea 
(Solenette), and the various species of Gobies, Blennies, Pipe-fish, and Dog-fishes. That 
leaves about 41 edible and marketable species, as follows :—Labrax lupus (Bass), MWudllus 
barbatus (Red mullet), Sparus centrodontus (Sea bream), Trigla pind (Red gurnard), 7. 
Jucerna (Yellow gurnard), Z. gurnardus (grey gurnard), Scomber scombrus (Mackerel), 
Zeus faber (John Dory), Wugil chelo (Grey mullet), Gadus callarias (Cod), G. ceglefinus 
(Haddock), G. merlangus (Whiting), G. vivens (Saithe), G. pollachius (Pollach), Alerluccius 
wilgaris (Hake), Molva vulgaris (Ling), Hippoglossus vulgaris (Halibut), Rhombus maximus 
(Turbot), 2. devs (Brett), Lepidorhombus megastoma (Megrim), Pleuronectes platessa (Plaice), 
P. microcephalus (Lemon dab), P. dimanda (Dab), P. flesus (Flounder), P. cynoglossus (Witch), 
Solea vulgaris (Sole), Salmo salar (Salmon), S. ¢rufta (Sea-trout), S. fario (Trout), Osmerus 
eperlanus (Sparling), Belone vulgaris (Garfish), Hnugraulis encrasicholus (Anchovy), Clupea 
harengus (Herring), C. sprattus (Sprat), C. pilchardus (Pilchard), C. finta (Shad), Anguilla 
vulgaris (Eel) Conger vulgaris (Conger eel), Acipenser sturio (Sturgeon), Raza batis (Blue 
skate), and #. clavata (Thornback). Considerably less than a third of the total number of 
kinds of fishes in our sea are marketable. Of course many, or most, of the others are 
edible, and some are no doubt occasionally eaten; but the list given above shows those 
that form the subject of our fishing industries, and which appear in our markets. 
D. S. Jordan* has divided the shore fishes of the Eastern Atlantic province into the 
following minor faunas :—The Icelandic, the British, the Mediterranean, the Guinean, and 
the Cape fauna. Consequently our British fish fauna lies between the Icelandic to the 
north and the Mediterranean to the south, and receives contributions from both as well as 
stragglers from the pelagic or open-sea fauna (such as the mackerel), or even from areas 
further afield—the Arctic and the more northern of the western Atlantic regions. 
Our British fauna is, of course, mainly that of north-west Europe, and Moebius and 
Heincke’s ‘‘ Die Fische der Ostsee,” and Fries, Ekstrém, and Sundevall’s “ History of 
Scandinavian Fishes,” to the north of us, and Sauvage and Giard’s ‘‘ Catalogue des 
Poissons du Boulonnais” to the south, and other lists of the fishes of neighbouring continental 
* Science, vol. XIV., p. 545, 1901. 
