72 GENERA AND SPECIES. 



and the hump where the dorsal begins being lower. The mouth 

 does not reach the front edge of the eye, and its lips are thick. 

 The colour is silvery, with a rosy blush, and the fins are bluish 

 with a red tinge on some of the edges. Unlike the Bream, this 

 species is not gregarious, though its haunts and food are similar. 

 It is much smaller in size, and may be a foot in length, but is 

 generally smaller. 



AcantMas. Plate xxx. SPINAC1D&. 



233. vulgaris, SPUR DOGFISH. A spine in front of each dorsal fin ; 

 anal fin absent. 



This is the common Dog-fish, often called the Picked Dog ; the 

 picked being a corruption of piked, the name being derived from 

 the conspicuous spines which stand up in front of each dorsal like 

 pike-heads, and are triangular in section with a groove behind. 

 That of the first dorsal stands just above the inner edge of the 

 pectorals, and that of the second dorsal, which is longer than the 

 other, is a trifle nearer the tail than the after edge of the ventrals. 

 The ventrals are small and the pectorals are larger than the dorsals. 

 In colour this, the most frequent of the British sharks, is greyish or 

 brownish above, with a few white spots, and whitish below In 

 winter it feeds near the ground in deep water, but at other times it 

 comes closer in, and preys on surface-swimming fishes. The spines 

 are used by bending the back so as to dig them in and then drawing 

 them asunder as the body straightens, tearing a gash outwards from 

 each point of incision. In length the Spur-dog reaches about four 

 feet. 



Acantholabrus. Plate xiv. LABR1DJE. 



in. palloni, SCALE-RAVED WRASSE. Upper lip thicker than lower 



The Scale-rayed Wrasse has a single dorsal fin with 20 or 21 

 spines and 9 or 10 rays, which are longer than the spines ; the anal 

 has from 4 to 6 spines and 5 to 8 rays ; the caudal has 14 or 15 rays ; 

 the pectorals have 14 or 15, and the ventrals have i spine and 5 

 rays. The dorsal begins above the base of the pectorals and 

 gradually increases in height to the first ray with which the higher 

 after portion begins, the anal spines also increase in height to the 

 first ray. The lateral line runs parallel to the curve of the back, and 

 contains from 40 to 45 scales ; there are 5 or 6 rows of scales on the 

 cheek and 7 on the gill-covers. The mouth is large and extends to 

 the front edge of the eye, the lower jaw being the longer. The 

 teeth in the j aws are conical, the outer row being the larger. In colour 

 this wrasse may be yellow, orange, brown, violet, or blue, with rosy 

 sides and whitish under parts, but it always has a black blotch on 

 the membrane between the 3 last dorsal spines. There are scales 

 on its dorsal, caudal, and anal fins, hence its fisherman's name. It 

 is a deep-water species, measuring 20 inches or more when fully 

 grown. 



