NATURAL HISTORY OF OUR SHORES 



were the first to describe, and consequently to name, any 

 specimen that came before them, and this must lead to 

 confusion for those who have not all the literature at 

 hand.) 



Well, this little Rhombus punctatus (this is the name 

 accepted by Dr Giinther in his catalogue of fishes in the 

 British Museum) is rather rarelv seen, but a careful search 



Fig. 1 18. Rhombus punctatus. ^ Natural size 



at the sides of rocks, when there is a very low spring tide, 

 will often furnish an example or two. 



It is about six inches long and four in depth. The 

 dorsal and ventral fins form, with the under side of the 

 body, a sucker arrangement, whereby it attaches itself 

 to the vertical side of a rock or large boulder, and there 

 it sticks, limpetlike, and often allows the tide to recede, 

 leaving it high and dry. Its colour is a rich brown, with 

 black markings. 



There are two species on our shores, the " one- shotted " 



