Fishes. 97 



Aquarium it lives for years and will spawn freely, but unfortunately the 

 young have not been able to be reared. 



Perhaps the most common fishes in the Bay are the different spe- 

 cies of Grey Mullet, Mugil (Fig. 46). They are easily distinguished 

 by their slender, silvery grey bodies, and their curious lips. The upper 

 lip is provided with a notch into which fits a process of the lower lip. 

 They swim round the coasts in shoals and live on soft decaying matter. 

 In tank Nr. 16 they will be seen feeding on the sea-weeds and on 

 decaying animal and vegetable products, so that they are distinctly use- 

 ful animals. Their flesh is very good, and as they are very common, 

 they form a staple article in the Italian markets (Cefalo). 



We have further to mention a number of fishes, which are always 

 to be found in the Aquarium, but possess no very striking habits, and 

 scarcely need a detailed account, very little being known of their life. 

 First come the Sea-breams, much sought for by fishermen on account of 

 their splendid flesh. They comprise the Snapper (Pagellus erythrinus, 

 (Fig. 37); Box (Figs. 12 and 13); and smaller allied forms, such as for 

 instance Oblata (Fig. 14). When in the sea they hunt together in large 

 numbers the smaller Crustacea and other animals; though in part they 

 live on vegetable food. Besides these we have larger forms, such as 

 the Sar, or Goatbream, Sargus (Fig. 41), Smarts (Fig. 76) and the 

 more rarely found Black Bream, Cantharus (Fig. 40); of which last 

 one specimen lived for five years in the Aquarium. The most valuable 

 are the Gilt-head, Chrysophrys (Fig. 38), and the Toothed-bream, 

 Dentex (Fig. 39), with metallic markings on the upper half of the 

 body. The former is caught all over the Mediterranean, often in salt 

 water and brackish lakes and lagoons , where it feeds on shell-fish and 

 is therefore caught with such bait. The Romans bred them in ponds, 

 the Lucrine Lake yielding a large supply. The Toothed-bream is the 

 largest of all, attaining a length of 3 feet and weighing over 20 pounds. 

 It is a predatory fish and often fetches the catch out of the nets. In 

 the Aquarium it displays great activity and agility; one of these, also, 

 lived here for 5 years and was killed by an accident. By the side of 

 the brilliant Breams the black Sea-crow, Corvina (Fig. 57), is conspi- 

 cuous by its sombre appearance. It is a quiet fish, usually associating 

 with companions of its own species , and examining the bottom of the 

 tank with great deliberation. Umbrina (Fig. 42), which is very like 

 it, is of more rare occurrence. 



Of the family of Herrings may be mentioned besides the Herring 

 itself, Clupea harengus , which occurs only rarely in the Bay - - the 

 Pilchard or Sardine, Clupea pilchardus , and the Anchovy, Engraulis 

 encrasicholus. The latter was known to the ancients, but this is not 

 the case with the Sardine or the Herring. Anchovy-fishery is only of 

 importance on the French coast, for the so-called Anchovy which is 

 imported from Norway is nothing but the Common Sprat, Clupea 

 sprattus. Sardines, on the other hand, are as frequent on the English 

 as on the French coasts, but are known to our fishermen as Pilchards. 

 They are salted down in barrels and exported to Italy - - particularly 

 Naples --to the number of 60 or 70 million fish a year; principally 



Guide. 4th ed. 7 



