430 Survey of Fishing -Grounds, West Coast of Ireland, 1890—1891. 



Gobius Jeffreysii, Griiiither. (Deep-sea.) 



Goliiis Jeffreysii, .... Gunther, "Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.," 1867, xx., p. 290, 



and 1874, xiii., p. 138. 

 „ ,, .... GiJNTHEE, ''Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin.," 1888, xvi., 



p. 120. 

 . . . . CoLLETT, " Norg. Fisk," p. 54. 

 . . . . LiLLJEBORG, "Sverig. o. Norg. Fisk," i., p. 587. 

 .... Smitt, "Hist. Skand. Fish," Ed. ii., p. 261. 

 quadrimaculattis, . . Day, " Fish. Gt. Brit.," i., p. 168. 



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Two adult examples of this species, now for the first time recorded from Irish 

 waters, were taken during the survey. Of these the larger, measuring 3*1 cm. was 

 taken in Dingle Bay. The other appears by the label to have come from Kilkieran 

 Bay, Aran Islands, Co. Galway, but we have reason to believe that the label has 

 been accidentally changed and that the specimen was really taken off Balycottin 

 in 41 fathoms. A large number of small gobies, which appear also to belong to 

 this species, were trawled in August, 1890, off the Skelligs in 80 fathoms, and also 

 off Balycottin. 



The species was first taken by Jeffreys off the Hebrides, in 1867, at 80 to 90 

 fathoms, and was subsequently found by Wyville Thompson, at 180 fathoms in 

 the Faroe Channel. More recently ten examples were captured by Murray in 

 the Clyde estuary. Among these were a male and female engaged in spawning 

 at the time of capture, which enabled Dr. Gunther, who has recorded these and 

 the previous specimens, to point out the striking differences of colour which then 

 occur. 



The female was marked and coloured in the ordinary manner, but the male, 

 which was only one and a-half inches long had a uniformly coloured body, 

 without spots, with fins showing most beautiful ornamentation. A figure of the 

 breeding male accompanies Giinther's description,* while the ordinary coloura- 

 tion is shown in his figure of the type."!" The figure given by Day is either that 

 of Giinther's type or of a specimen taken at the same time. 



The species has been recorded also from Norway : from the deep-water of 

 Stavanger Fjord by Sars, and from Haagesund by Lilljeborg. The two adult 

 examples taken during the Surrey have the ordinary colouration, but the smaller 

 ones, perhaps two small for exact specific determination, in many cases, are almost 

 wholly destitute of dark pigment of any description. 



* " Proc. Eoy. Soc. Edinb.," tmn. cit., pi. iii., fig. B. 

 t " Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.," 1867, xx., pi. v., fig. C. 



