A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



indicated in the structure of its otoliths ; the latter are calcareous bodies of 

 flattened oval shape contained in the cavities of the ears, and they increase in 

 size by the addition of new deposits on the surface. The successive layers 

 deposited in successive years can be distinguished by differences of transparency 

 in the deposits of different seasons, and so the number of years in the age of 

 the fish can be ascertained. Other calcareous structures of fishes show similar 

 annual rings, for instance the scales and the bones, but usually they are less 

 distinct than the rings of the otoliths. 



An asterisk prefixed to a name denotes a fresh-water species ; two 

 asterisks indicate occurrence in both fresh and salt water. 



TELEOSTEANS 



ACANTHOPTERYGII 



*i. Perch. Perca fiuvlatillsy Linn. 



Common in the rivers and in Oulton Broad. 



**2. Sea Bass. Morone labrax^ Linn. [Labrax 

 lupus. Day). 

 Doubtless occurs occasionally off the coast and 

 in the estuaries, but only as a summer visitor. 

 Has been taken on the Norfolk coast. 



*3. Ruff or Pope, Acerina c^rntttf, Linn. 

 Not so common as in Norfolk. 



4. Shade-fish. Sctaena aqu'tla, Lac^p. 



A specimen over 5 ft. in length and weighing 

 84 lb. is recorded by Hele to have come ashore 

 at Thorpe near Aldeburgh in August 1868.^ 

 Another specimen was taken near Yarmouth in 

 November 1875, as recorded by Mr. Tregelles 

 of Brompton in the Times of I November of that 

 year. It was 4 ft. 9 in. in length and weighed 

 75 lb. 



5. Common Sea-bream. Pagellus centrodontus, 



De la Roche. 

 Probably occurs occasionally but rarely ; has 

 been recorded for Norfolk. 



6. Gilt-head. Pagrus auratus, Linn. 



Very rare : a specimen recorded at Pakefield 

 by R. Leathes in April 1829.^ 



7. Scorpaena dactylopterOy De la Roche. 



A specimen sfin. in length taken off Yar- 

 mouth by a shrimper obtained by Mr. A. Pater- 

 son 29 April 1894 is recorded in Lowe's third 

 list under the name Sebastes norvegicus. In the 

 fourth list this specimen is identified as Scor- 

 paena dactyloptera, and Mr. Paterson saw a second 

 specimen at Lowestoft in December 1895 which 

 measured 8 in. 



' Notes and Jottings^hout Aldehurgh. 

 'Lowe, Tisbes o/Norf. 



8. Red Mullet. Mullus barbatus, var. surmul/etus, 



Linn. 



Occurs occasionally. In Paget's Natural 

 Histtry of Tarmouth it is stated that 10,000 were 

 sent in one week in May 1831 to the London 

 market. Mr. Gurney believed that the red mul- 

 let of the eastern coa?t were plain red mullet, 

 but this seems unlikely, and Lowe considers that 

 the plain variety occurs but rarely ; it has not 

 been proved to occur at all. 



9. Ballan Wrasse. Labrus maculatus, Bloch. 

 A young specimen about 8 in. long was taken 



with hook and line in the 

 Lowestoft in August 1852. 



outer harbour of 



10. Cook or Cuckoo Wrasse. Labrus mixtus, 

 Linn. 



A specimen under the name L. larvatus is 

 recorded by Lowe,' probably from Norfolk. 



*ii. Miller's Thumb. Coitus goblo, h'mn. 



Occurs in the Yare, probably also in the Wa- 

 veney and other rivers. 



12. Father-lasher, Short-spined Bull-head. Cottus 



scorpius, Linn. 



Common on the coast. 



13. Long-spined Bull-head. Cottus bubalis, 



Euphr. 



Probably occurs. 



14. Grey Gurnard. Trigla gurnarduSy hinn. 



Common on the Lowestoft trawling grounds ; 

 numbers are landed in the trawl market. The 

 grey gurnard in its young stages, when under 

 9 in. in length is of a uniform reddish colour 

 without spots, but not so bright a red as Trigla 

 cuculus. In its adult condition it has bright yel- 

 low spots. 



164 



^ Prcc. Zool. Sec. 1859, P- *49' 



