94 THE MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND FISHES OF ESSEX. 



Family GOBIID^iE, Cuv. 

 Genus GOBIUS, Artedi. 



Gobius ruthensparri, Retz. TWO-SPOTTED GOBY. 



This little fish is common on the shores of the Wallet, 

 where it flourishes on the hard, almost rock-like, London clay. 

 It is frequently caught and boiled with shrimps. 



Gobius minutus, Donovan. YELLOW GOBY, ONE-SPOTTED GOBY, 



and TAIL-SPOTTED GOBY (young). 



Common. Day {Fishes of Great Britain, vol. i., p. 166) 

 calls it numerous at the mouth of the Thames, and says that 

 it is commonly found amongst the Whitebait brought to the 

 London market. Yarrell says (British Fishes, vol. i., p. 260) 

 it is apparently a new species from Colchester. 



Genus APHIA, Risso. 



Aphia pellucida, Moreau. SLENDER, OR TRANSPARENT, GOBY. 



Possibly this may be common on the Essex coast ; but, 

 as the shrimpers throw away all the small unsaleable fish they 

 catch, the opportunities for seeing it are few. The only 

 examples coming under my observation were captured in the 

 Wallet, by the fisherman employed at the Biological Station 

 at Brightlingsea. 



Family CALLIONYMID^, Richardson. 

 Genus CALLIONYMUS, Linn. 



Callionymus lyra, Linn. DUSKY SKULPIN. Locally, Fox 

 or DRAGONET. 



The shrimp-trawlers very often capture this species in 

 their shrimp nets on our sandy shores, a locality just suited 

 to its habits. Day's figure {Fishes of Great Britain, pi. liv.) 

 was taken (Op. cit., vol. i., p. 177) from one captured at 

 Southend, where the reddish specimens are called " Foxes " 



