258 NATURAL HISTORY OF OUR SHORES 



bottomed, gravelly pools, are a productive fishing ground 

 for the naturalist. 



In the shelter of the overhanging masses of Zostera that 

 line their banks lurk many beautiful fishes. 



A thrust or two of the ordinary shrimping net beneath 

 the Zostera roof will invariably result in the capture of 

 some of the " Rock-fishes " or " Wrasses " (Labridce). 



The variety of these is very great ; some are a brilliant 

 grass-green, others crimson, some self-coloured, others 

 spotted, marbled, mottled, all with red, brown, green and 

 orange, scarcely two, even in a large catch, being even 

 approximately alike in colour or marking. 



With all this variety they are resolvable into two or 

 three species, although there has been, in this family, a 

 tendency to multiply names. 



One, however, among a catch such as I have described 

 cannot be confounded with any other. This is the young 

 of the Great Spotted Wrasse (Labrus maculatus). 



The adult of this is certainly the most beautiful of our 

 fishes, and one that can offer to vie with the gorgeous 

 dwellers in southern seas. It is about eighteen inches long, 

 its colour varying from chestnut-brown to crimson on the 

 back and sides. These are closely covered with oval spots, 

 of about the size of a lentil. The spots are pearly white, 

 with a faint blue border. The spots extend to fins and 

 tail in beautiful symmetry. 



The under parts are pearly white, with orange or red 

 marbling, while over all there is a faint sheen of green 

 and purple, like on what is termed " shot silk." 



The French fishermen term this fish " Le PerU " (the 

 "Pearl Bearer"). 



The young have the colours of the adult, but the re 

 gularity of marking is not yet apparent. One is shown 

 in the photo (Fig. 111). 



Tolerably common in these places viz. Zostera pools 



