7 o THE FISHERIES OF THE ADRIATIC, 



China. The skins of the Tope, the Spotted Dog-fishes, and Angel-fishes are 

 dried and preserved and used as elsewhere, for polishing purposes in domestic 

 households and by cabinet-makers. The Tope and spiny Dog-fish are very 

 troublesome to the fishermen ; they bite through the nets and steal the fishes, 

 or watch for hooked fish, biting through the lines. The Fox follows the 

 shoals of pilchards, the Blue Shark is found in chase of tunny. 



The Rays are mostly the inhabitants of the loam-beds, or the muddy 

 bottom near the mouths of rivers. They are mostly caught by means of the 

 Italian trawling-nets (cocchia). They are all more or less eaten by the poor. 

 The Thornback (Rasa spinosa) and Raja miraletus (Quattroccki) are the best 

 of the kind and belong to Class No. 2 ; the rest must be classed as No. 3, 

 although the flesh of some — such as the Sting-rays and Devil-fishes — is so 

 indifferent as to be eaten only by the poorest classes. The Electric-rays 

 are sometimes caught in large quantities, dried, and shipped to the Levant. 

 The Sting-rays (Trigonidcc) and Devil-fishes (Myliobatidce) attain to great 

 size and weight ; some are mentioned of 1,250 lb. weight and 20 feet length. 

 The tail of the Sting-ray is furnished with a weapon, whose wound is much 

 feared by the fishermen, and the tail is generally cut off when the fish is 

 brought to market. 



The Sturgeons are represented in the Adriatic by seven species, four of 

 which are absolutely distinct, whereas the other three are held by many to 

 be mere varieties of one or more of the other species, without being able to 

 lay claim to a distinct identity. They frequent the western head of the Gulfs 

 of Venice and Trieste, near the estuaries of the principal rivers, such as 

 the Po, Tagliamento, Livenza, Piave, Brenta, Adige and Bacchiglione, which 

 they ascend in spring to spawn. They are seldom found on the eastern 

 shores of the gulf, where there are no important rivers. 



The common Sturgeon (Acipenser sturid) does not attain to the high state 

 of development met with elsewhere, and seldom exceeds 5 or 6 feet in length. 

 Its flesh is far superior to that of the other species and, being much esteemed 

 in the markets of Venice and Trieste, it is one of the dearest fishes on the 

 Dalmatian coast. It is occasionally, but rarely, caught in the Ouarnero. 

 The Adriatic Sturgeon (A. naccarii, Bp.) is smaller in size, the average length 



