344 FISHES. 



as much as 1 2 Ibs., but in our seas it is rare, confined prac- 

 tically to the south-west coast, where, however, the nets 



take examples of over so Ibs. On the Italian 

 Dentex. 



coast, we used to fish for it at night, a torch 



being hung out over the bow, and a hook, dressed with two 

 white feathers and baited with 3 or 4 inches of the tentacle 

 of an octopus, being " dapped " at the surface. In colour, 

 it is bluish, with silver reflections. It has but one dorsal 

 fin ; and the mouth is armed with long curved teeth. 



[According to a correspondent of Harvie - Brown, an 

 example of Holocanthus tricolor, allied to the Australian 

 coral-fishes, was taken off Stornoway some years ago.] 



2. THE RED MULLET. 



The Red Mullet has no connection whatever with the grey 



mullet, from which it is easily distinguished by its smaller 



size, brighter colouring, and stiff "feelers." 



' At first sight it might be taken for a small 



red gurnard. There are two forms of this fish the striped, 



or surmullet, the larger and commoner, and the smaller 

 plain form. Cunningham 1 has not found the smaller form 

 at Plymouth. This fish it suffices for present purposes to 



* Marketable Marine Fishes, p. 307. 



