434 PISCES (OSSEI) MALACOPT. [CLUPEA. 



GEN. 44. CLUPEA, Linn. 



(1. CLUPEA, Linn.) 



116. C. Harengus, Linn. (Common Herring.) 

 Minute teeth in both jaws : infra-orbitals and gill-covers 

 veined : subopercle rounded at bottom : dorsal behind 

 the centre of gravity : ventrals beneath the middle of the 

 dorsal. 



C. Harengus, Linn. Syst. Nat. torn. i. p. 522. Block, Ichth. pi. 29. 

 f. 1. Turt. Brit. Faun. p. 106. Flem. Brit. An. p. 182. 

 Harengus, Will. Hist. Pise. p. 219. tab. P. 1. f. 2. British 

 Herring, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 335. pi. 68. no. 160. Com- 

 mon Herring, Id. (Edit. 1812.) vol. in. p. 444. pi. 79. Hareng 

 commun, Cuv. Reg. An. torn. n. p. 317. 



LENGTH. Ten to twelve inches ; sometimes more. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) Oval; rather elongated : dorsal and ventral lines 

 equally convex : greatest depth one-fifth of the entire length, excluding 

 caudal : thickness half the depth : sides compressed : belly sharply cari- 

 nated, but without any sensible serratures : head triangular, very much 

 compressed; one-fifth of the entire length, this last being measured to 

 the base of the caudal fork : lower jaw longer than the upper, with a few 

 minute teeth confined to its extremity ; upper jaw with the lower half 

 of the maxillaries finely serrated : a few minute teeth on the tongue, as 

 well as on the vomer : eyes large ; their diameter contained about four 

 times and a half in the length of the head : infra-orbitals, preopercle, and 

 upper part of the opercle, marked with fine vein-like striae : subopercle 

 rounded beneath : gill-opening extremely large : lateral line not very 

 distinct; its course nearly straight, and rather above the middle: scales 

 large, very deciduous : dorsal fin behind the centre of gravity, com- 

 mencing exactly half-way between the end of the snout and base of 

 the caudal rays; rays rapidly increasing from the first, which is very 

 short, to the fifth, which is longest; then gradually decreasing; the 

 first four simple, the succeeding ones branched: anal commencing be- 

 yond the tip of the dorsal, this last being laid back ; of about the same 

 length as that fin, but not so high ; fourth and some of the succeeding 

 rays longest : caudal deeply forked : pectorals rather narrow, more than 

 half the length of the head : ventrals attached beneath the middle of 

 the dorsal, a vertical line from the first dorsal ray falling considerably 

 in advance of them : 



B. 8 ; D. 19 ; A. 17; C. 19, and 5 or 6 short ones ; P. 17 ; V. 9. 



Number of vertebrae fifty-six. (Colours.) Back and upper portion of 

 the sides deep sky-blue, tinged with sea-green : belly and flanks bright 

 silvery : irides, cheeks, and gill-covers, tinged with gold. 



A common and well-known species visiting our coasts in large shoals 

 towards the end of Summer. Deposits its roe in October and November, 

 after which it retires again into deep water. Food, according to Pennant, 

 small Crustacea ; sometimes the fry of its own species. 



117. C. Leachii) Yarr. (Leactis Herring.) 



C. Leachii, Yarr. in Proceed, of Zool. Soc. (1831.) p. 34. Id. in 

 Zool. Journ. vol. v. p. 278. pi. 12. 



