107 



more or less flat surface by means of a very large sucker on 

 its ventral surface. This sucker is formed of the very much 

 modified ventral fins, and is a most effective means of attach- 

 ment, as it is about as broad as the fish itself. The fish was 

 never seen to eat, and very rarely moved from the one spot. 

 It could not be startled by any sudden motion, not even 

 moving its eyes. When forcibly removed from the rock it 

 swam off a short distance with a somewhat clumsy haste and 

 fixed itself again not far off. Its behaviour in rock pools is 

 somewhat different. If suddenly surprised it scurries off a 

 few feet, generally hiding under a stone, from which it can, 

 however easily be taken by hand. 



The most of the observations on this fish were thus of purely 

 negative character, but on one occasion a specimen, which 

 was found making its way up into \'ery shallow water, was 

 put into the tank, and seemed to throw some light on this 

 peculiar habit. About two days after its introduction into the 

 tank it deposited a number of eggs in a single layer over a flat 

 stone, and apparently kept guard over them by covering or 

 partly covering them with the large sucker, the lower part of 

 the broad and rounded ventral fin often keeping up a baling- 

 like movement. The eggs were small, circular, and contained 

 a number of oil globules. They were examined from time to 

 time, but no development took place, apparently not having 

 been fertilised. The fish did not take any special care of the 

 eggs, except to cover them in this way, and soon seemed to 

 lose all interest in them. Other fish, chiefly the Dasjes and 

 Klip-fish, began to pick them off one by one, and a large Star- 

 fish endeavoured to reach them. They were then protected 

 by a piece of wire netting, but no development took place, 

 and they soon disappeared. It may be that the development 

 of the enormous sucker is connected with the protection of 

 the eggs. 



LooTSMAN, Sucker {Echeneis remora, Linn.). 



This, as is well known, is also a sucker fish, the dorsal fin 

 being modified into a large sucking disk over its head. On 

 one occasion a fisherman brought three specimens of 

 this fish, which he had found firmly attached to a shark 

 caught in a seine net. They adhered firmly to the bucket 

 of water in which they were brought, and could only be dis- 

 lodged by inserting something under the edge of the sucker, 

 thus admitting the water. They then suddenly relaxed their 

 hold, but immediately attached themselves close by to another 

 part of the bucket. Eventually, however, they came out of 



[C.P. 6-'i4.] 1 



