AND THE FISH THEREOF. 71 



being 3 feet, although sometimes attaining to as much as 5 feet in length ; 

 the flesh is far inferior to the foregoing. 



A. nardoi {Heck.), A. nasus {Heck.), and A. Heckelii (Fitz.), are 

 held by many authorities to be mere varieties of the foregoing species : 

 they are caught under similar circumstances, either in the Venetian lagoons 

 or in the rivers, and are brought to market as one and the same kind 

 under the name of Copese at Venice and Sporzella at Trieste. The Huso 

 {Ladano at Venice) is but occasionally caught at Venice, and in the river 

 Po ; it attains to a length of 7 feet and a weight of 100 lb. Acipenser 

 stellatus {Pall.) is reported as having been caught in one instance in Zara 

 waters. 



Of the Perch tribe the most important, as regards its prevalence and the 

 excellence of its flesh as food, is the Basse (Labrax lupus) 1 ; it is common, 

 more or less, at all seasons, and attains to a size of as much as 3 feet in 

 length and 20 lb. in weight. It is generally found close to the shore and in 

 brackish waters, and is caught by net, line, and prong ; and it never enters 

 fresh water. The adult is best in April, the young in November ; it is reared 

 in the fish-ponds (valli) of the lagoons. 



The Sea-perches (Serranind) are represented by seven species, of which 

 four belong to the genus Serranus (Sea-perches proper) ; none are of 

 importance, the more prevalent kinds having little value as food. The two 

 common are S. hcpatus, which is sold amongst the Minutaja (mixed fish), 

 with other small fish of little value, and the 5". scriba, which belongs to class 

 No. 2 ; the latter frequents shallow rocks on sheltered shores. 



Anthias saccr is a very rare species, of little or no value as food, which 

 has been caught on the Dalmatian coast south of Lissa ; Dr. Giinther mentions 

 that, according to Aristotle, the fishers of sponges called this fish sacred, 

 because no voracious fishes came to the places which it frequented, and the 

 diver might descend with safety. 



1 Termed " Lupus " by the Romans, on account of its voracity ; by the Greeks it was so 

 highly esteemed that Archestratus called it " Offspring of the Gods "; they attributed to it a tender 

 1 for its own safety ; and Aristotle says that it is the most cunning of fishes, and that, when 

 surrounded by the net, it djgs for itself a channel of escape through the sand. — Gunther. 



