532 FISHES. 



surface, rising here and there into the appearance of short spines : 

 the eyes are large, and of a whitish colour, with the iris radiated 

 by several dusky stripes : the mouth excessively wide, with the 

 lower jaw considerably longer than the upper : the teeth very 

 sharp and numerous, both in the mouth and on the tongue : from 

 the upper part of the head spring two or three long and linear ten. 

 tacula or processses, situated in a longitudinal direction behind 

 each other, and followed by a few shorter ones down the back : 

 the sides or edges of the body are fringed, at intervals, with many 

 shorter appendages of a somewhat similar nature : the pectoral 

 fins are large, of a rounded and slightly scolloped outline, and are 

 seated on very thick arm-like processes : the ventral fins are short, 

 cartilaginous, of a whitish colour, and palmated : the dorsal fin 

 is rather shallow and situated at the lower part of the back : the 

 ventral is placed nearly opposite and is of a similar appearance, 

 but somewhat smaller : the tail is short and rounded. The colour 

 of the whole animal on the upper parts is brown, with a few 

 deeper and paler variegations, and beneath whitish. This fish is 

 observed chiefly to frequent the shallow parts of the sea, lying in 

 ambush, half-covered by the weeds and mud j in this situation it 

 is said to move about the tentacula or long processes on the head, 

 &c. in such a manner that the smaller fishes, deceived by their 

 resemblance to worms, and attempting to seize them, become an 

 easy prey to the lophius. This practice, which is mentioned by 

 Pliny and others, induced Mr. Pennant, in the British Zoology, 

 to distinguish the genus by the English name of angler. 



\Willoughby. Pennant. Shaw* 



SECTION XVI. 



Sucker. 

 Cyclopterus gumpus. Link. 



Thts singular fish increases to the weight of seven pounds, and 

 to the length of nineteen inches : the shape of the body is like that 

 of the bream, deep, and very thick, and it swims edgeways : the 

 back is sharp and elevated, the belly ffat : the irides are of a cherry- 

 colour, the lips, mouth, and tongue of a deeper red : the jaws lined 

 with innumerable small teeth ; the tongue very thick : along the 

 ridge of the back is a row of large bony tubercles ; from above the 



