Thornback or " Roker," Numbers, Food. 167 



some connection with habit. In every nook and corner of our 

 seaboard is it to be met with, and at times and places even 

 swarming, notably where crustaceans and young fish overrun. 

 In the Thames estuary its distribution is somewhat akin to that 

 of the skate. It is scarcer on the Essex side, seeming to have 

 a preference for the eddy currents towards Kentish Flats, 

 Spaniards, so-called South Channel, &c. 



As referred to above, when long-lining in the Wallet, &c., 

 Rokers were few at the beginning of the fishing season, but as 

 the sprats came about so did the Rokers multiply. They would 

 then be from 18 inches to 2 feet wide, length in proportion, and 

 more big than small ones. As an instance of a good catch, some 

 30 years back (1870 ?) in the Barrow Deep one morning, on 

 28 lines 190 great Rokers were hooked, besides several lines 

 being lost through weight of fish on them. Most unfortunately 

 " they fetched no money " (Tyrrel). As in the case of skate, 

 females are in excess. Males from 1 foot broad upwards 

 were spoken of as " Bashaw Rokers," a term in use at 

 other fishing ports. The young till nigh half grown are 

 recognised as "maids." These and the very small sort are 

 got in considerable numbers below Southend Pier, where the 

 brood of other fish congregate ; likewise on middle ground, 

 Nore Sand. At these places they come in plenty in spring 

 and early summer. On 10th May, 1898, when shrimping 

 from the Girdler Buoy and Lightship back to the Oilman, 

 quite a lot of Rokers were obtained. They ranged from 

 12 to 30 inches snout to tail end (the latter less than half 

 the length), and breadth from 8 to 20 inches. As winter 

 and cold weather approaches they hie to the deeper water 

 seawards. 



We have found their food to be similar to that of the 

 skate. The men's statement is they feed " on all manners 

 of things," i.e. sprats, plaice, dabs, crabs, &c., but not often 

 shell-fish. The egg-cases are seen in summer, the quite 

 young fish chiefly in autumn, the " maids " and fully adults 



