Lump-sucker, Distribution, tiize, Young. 



from deep to shallower water. Some seasons they are captured 

 in numbers on the S. Kent coast, and the same applies to 

 the opposite extreme near Harwich. Rather common in 

 the Blackwater, especially on the Mersea shore. Specimen 

 taken 24th April, 1897, length 16 inches, width 5 inches, 

 weight 3| Ib. (Fitch). In the Thames mouth the larger 

 forms are got below the Nore, chiefly in the trawl, occa- 

 sionally in the stow-net, perad vent are a small one in the 

 drag-net. In 1882 an order was received by an old Leigh- 

 man, then resident in Southeud, for young Lump-suckers. 

 Quite a number were obtained from the whitebaiters, and 

 taken alive in a tank to a German aquarium (Tyrrel). The 

 biggest we have seen captured in spring in the neighbour- 

 hood of the Oilman and Girdler was close on 2 feet long, 

 depth and thickness in proportion.* Another, a male 18 

 inches long, half that in depth of body, weight 6 Ib., was 

 caught in the stow-net 21st March above the Knock Buoy. 

 Abdomen of rich red colour; milt in ripe condition. We 

 took 100 whitebait from its stomach, besides several white 

 gobies and others. Lump-suckers from 6 to 9 inches or a 

 foot long at intervals are not infrequent. 



The smallest, obtained in whitebaiters' stow-net 26th Feb., 

 was under 1| inches long; another, 2j inches, in shrimp-trawl, 

 on 30th April ; this latter weighed J oz. According to J. R. 

 Tosh's reckoningf these would be about 10 and 12 months old. 

 At these stages the general chubby form approaches that of 

 the adult, and even then the rows of spirious tubercles on the 

 body are quite a marked feature. The bright emerald tint and 

 other peculiarities corroborate McTntosh's description of their 



* Winter specimen of maximum size full of spawn, vi/. : A female received through 

 M r. -I uniper, and caught near the Knock Buoy in whitebaiters' stow-net 'iy w - Cotgrove, 

 ir.Ui December, 19<M), was quite 2 feet long, 13J inches deep, 3z inches girth, and 23 lb. 

 weight. The ovaries weighed 2 lb. 12 oz. and the eggs were almost ripe for extrusion. 

 Doubtless it would have spawned in .January. A dozen whitebait were found in the 

 stomach, besides 20 examples of egg-shaped jelly fish (Cfenopho a) . Tin's female hinnp- 

 sucker was of the blue coloured kind, only the hinder fins reddish, thus contrasting 

 with the bright red-bellied breeding males. We cooked a portion of the ova and a bit 

 of more solid muscular flesh, and both ate well ; but the thick layer beneath the skin 

 became a jelly-mass on cooking. (See Backhand's note, Laud and Water, 187'.', p. 188.) 



t 12th Aim. Hep. 8. F. Board for 1H'J3. 



