136 The Freckled and White Goby. 



the shore when tide rises. They come up in the shrimpers' 

 trawl, or are entrapped in the whitebaiters' stow-net. The 

 adults consume such fare as sandhoppers, Araphipods, young 

 barnacles, Mysidee, minute shrimps, &c. These gobies little eggs 

 do not float about, but adhere in flat layers on stones, dead shells, 

 seaweeds and other objects. Each egg is of an oblong shape, 

 and fastened at the base by an outspread network.* The 

 young hatch out in spring, though spawning continues during 

 summer. 



(3.) The WHITE GOBY (Aphia pellucida) , known also as the 

 Slender Goby, is characterized by the translucency of its body, 

 as its specific name implies, besides possessing other pecu- 

 liarities. It is supposed to be rare in our District, but, on the 

 contrary, it is astonishingly numerous. 



Whether the White Goby is to be found on S. and E. 

 Kent we cannot speak with certainty, but that it enters the 

 Medway is not so doubtful. As regards Essex, Dr. Laver 

 (op. cit.) had only seen a few chance examples caught in the 

 Wallet, and therefore hesitates to express opinion as to its 

 distribution or plenitude. According to our observations at 

 Leigh station, as early as the first week, or from mid-February 

 onwards, among the whitebait obtained by stow-netting, what 

 are termed " heads-and-eyes " begin to appear. These are 

 mainly sprats and herrings in their post-larval condition, bub 

 a few White Gobies are found among them. Throughout March 

 and April the latter increase in numbers ; at times 20, 30 to 50 

 or more may be picked out of a box of " bait." The extremes 

 in length of those measured by us have been from 30 to 50 

 millimetres, or say about IJ to 2 inches. These are adults of 

 the White Goby. Their extraordinary transparency, however, 

 displaying all their internal organs, marks them off sharply 

 from the similar-sized somewhat eel-shaped herring fry, the 

 latter being of a duller coloured jelly-like consistence. 



* For illustrations of Goby arid Sucker families' egg* see Hate II., Mclntosli's 

 Brit. Marine Food -fishes. 



