THE BLENNIES AND BAND-FISHES. 371 



The Wolf-fish, largest of our blennies, is the much- 

 maligned " Stone-biter " of the Baltic fishermen, who de- 

 Wolf- clare that it is of fierce disposition. It is 

 fish. certainly not a very attractive creature, but, 

 as in the case of the dory, appearance does not go for 

 much, and the " Cat-fish," another of its names, is good 

 eating. It grows to a length of at least 6 feet, and is 

 grey, with a row of black bands and small black spots. 

 A fish of cold seas, it is rarest on our southern coast, 

 being chiefly known among the isles of Scotland ; only 

 a few examples are mentioned from Irish waters. There 

 are no throat-fins ; the tail-fin is small but distinct. The 

 teeth of this blenny, which are, I suspect, more formidable 

 than its character, are long and curved, and it feeds on all 

 manner of shell-fish, whelks more particularly. 



[The Sharp-tailed Lumpenus * was once trawled (1884) 

 off the Carr Lightship.] 



2. THE BAND-FISHES. 



[The three species of this group which have wandered 

 occasionally to British waters are the Red Band-fish, the 

 Deal-fish, and Banks 1 s Oar-fish. The first of these, a small 

 deep-water fish that rarely exceeds a length of 2 feet, is 

 occasionally hooked, more often thrown ashore in gales. 

 It is compressed in form ; red, with yellow markings. The 

 eyes and teeth are conspicuously large. The tail -fin is 

 absent. 



The Deal-fish, which grows to a length of 9 or 10 feet, 

 the largest British example having measured rather over 

 7 feet, is taken at long intervals in the stake-nets on the 

 northern coasts. It is silvery in colour ; and the tail-fin, 

 raised above the line of the body, has several long rays. 

 There is no ventral fin. 



1 I include this on the authority of M'Intosh and Masterman (Life- 

 Histories, p. 223). 



