COD, HADDOCKS, WHITING, BREAM, ETC 451 



(Cantharus lineatus), are caught during July and August in 

 shallow waters, but on the approach of autumn retire to the 

 deeps. They are often taken on drift lines, are a strong, hand- 

 some fish, and feed more boldly by daylight than the common 

 bream. They take much the same baits, but are not found 

 in such large schools, and in far shallower water. 



There are some other varieties of these fish which are more 

 or less uncommon on our coasts. For instance, Couch's SEA 

 BREAM (Pagrus vulgaris), which is anything but vulgar, there 

 being so far only a single undoubted British example ; Pagellus 

 Owem'i, called by Pennant the RED GILT-HEAD ; and Pagellus 

 acarne. Naturalists, by the way, do not class the sea bream in 

 the same family with the bream of rivers, the latter belonging 

 to the carps and the former to the Sparidce. While in general 

 outline the sea bream resembles the freshwater fish, it differs 

 from it in having a formidable dorsal fin extending nearly the 

 whole length of its back, which is well furnished with spines 

 like that of the perch. 



GURNARDS or GURNETS, as they are variously called, have 

 perhaps the most remarkable appearance of any of our marine 

 food fishes. Their characteristics are a square, massive, bony 

 head, with a body rapidly diminishing towards the tail ; on the 

 back two dorsal fins, the one nearer the head spiny and re- 

 sembling that of a perch ; two enormous ventral fins, which in 

 one variety are fringed with a bright metallic blue ; and six 

 leg-like feelers projecting from the throat, with which the fish 

 partially lifts itself from the bottom as it crawls along searching 

 for food. Some varieties of gurnards give vent to strange 

 croaking sounds when first hauled above water line, and for 

 this reason the Italians call them organo and the French 

 grondin. With regard to their breeding habits, they spawn in 

 the spring ; and their eggs, like many others of the food fishes, 

 are pelagic, floating on or near the surface of the sea. 



