258 THE NINE FISH MOST HIGHLY PRIZED 



The Elops or Helops has been deemed to be the Acipenser} 

 but this conflicts with Ovid {Hal., 96) — " Et pretiosus elops 

 nostris incognitus undis " — with Columella (VIII. 16), and with 

 PUny (XXXII. 54). 



Whatever the Elops, Varro and Epicharmus testify to its 

 extortionate price, while Pliny lets us know that by many of 

 the cognoscenti its flavour was deemed to be the very best of all. 



The capture of this rare and elusive fish — its usual habitat 

 was off Pamphylia — became the occasion of great rejoicing ; 

 the crew of the successful boat were crowned with wreaths, and 

 welcomed by the music of the flute-players. 2 It is noteworthy 

 that the Acipenser does not occur in the pages either of Varro 

 or of Columella, while the Elops does. 



4. The Rho7nbus, whether it were R. maximus, the " Turbot," 

 or R. IcBvis, the " Brill," has been long in dispute. 



Juvenal describes his celebrated Rhombus with " erectas 

 in terga sudes " (IV. 128) ; " erectas " may be conceded to 

 the licence of a poet as regards the back fin of a Turbot, but 

 not of a Brill, which is yielding and rather wavy. Then, 

 again, Diphilus declares that its flesh is soft, Xenocrates that 

 it is firm, and improves with keeping. Now the flesh of the 

 Brill is soft : that of the Turbot much firmer. Rhombus 

 (unmentioned by Aristotle) probably stood for both Turbot 

 and Brill, as well as for the T/^rirra, " which is called by the 

 Romans the Rhombus." 3 



The fish, which derives its name from its supposed likeness 

 to the geometrical figure, was in poetry but not in popularity "* 

 more celebrated than that other famous flat fish, the Sole. 

 As a dainty the Sturgeon was in vogue long before the Rhombus, 

 perhaps because, as Horace {Sat., II. 2. 49) suggests, it was 

 introduced by a man of fashion : 



"... Quid ? tunc rhombos minus aequora alebant ? 

 lutus erat rhombus, tutoque ciconia nido, 

 Donee vos auctor docuit praetorius." 



1 Athen., VII. 44; and Pliny, IX. 27. 



2 .Elian, VIII, 28. 



» Cf. Athenacus, VII 139. 



♦ Cf., however, Alciphron, 1. 7, where among presents from fishermen, 

 it takes premier place. 



