2 20 BRITISH FRESHWATER FISHES 



As a rule in our waters it does not attain a 

 length of more than 2 feet, with a weight of about 



3 lbs. ; a specimen of 8 lbs. from the Trent seems 

 to be the largest recorded English Burbot, but 

 double this size is attained on the Continent, and 

 in the arctic regions they grow very large. Burbot 

 weighing as much as 60 lbs. having been taken in 

 Alaska. The small example figured (PL XX, Fig. i), 

 10 inches long, is from the Trent. 



This is an inhabitant of clear rivers and lakes, 

 living at the bottom in deepish water ; here it lies, 

 usually more or less concealed among the weeds 

 or in crevices between stones, or sometimes in 

 holes under the banks among the roots of trees. 

 It is a gluttonous fish, and eats great quantities of 

 the eggs of other species ; it devours greedily 

 almost anything edible that can be obtained, but 

 is especially destructive to other fish ; in the day- 

 time the Burbot pounces on any little fish un- 

 fortunate enough to come near enough to its 

 lurking-place, whilst at night it goes in active 

 pursuit of prey. Even fish of some size may fall 

 victims to its voracity, and a case has been recorded 

 of a Burbot of 22^ inches which had swallowed a 

 Pike of more than half its own length. 



The breeding season is usually from January to 

 March, when the Burbots assemble in shoals. 

 Some large fish may spawn in deep water, but 

 the majority repair to the shallows ; the eggs are 

 very small and numerous, and are deposited on 

 the bottom. They hatch out in three or four 

 weeks, and the fry grow but slowly, attaining a 

 length of about 4 inches in a year ; young Burbots 

 may often be found under stones on the shallows ; 



