86 BRITISH FISH AND FISHERIES. 



gular, dusky mark occupies the top of the head, 

 pointing between the eyes. 



Another ferocious fish, the type of a distinct 

 family, having the pectoral fins feet-like, is 

 often found on our shores ; we allude to the 

 angler, or fishing-frog, (Lophiiis piscatorius.) 

 In this hideous fish, the head is of enormous 

 size, and depressed, or flattened ; the mouth is 

 of vast width and capacity, but the body is 

 slender ; the eyes are placed with an upward 

 aspect, on the top of the huge broad head ; the 

 jaws, the palate, and tongue are armed with 

 long, sharp, recurved teeth ; the edge of the 

 lower jaw is fringed all round. On the top of 

 the head are three long filaments, in the median 

 line ; of these two are seated just above the 

 muzzle, the other rises from the back of the 

 head. These elongated filaments are supported 

 by bone, and are movable in all directions, 

 especially the first, which, tapering like the 

 finest fishing-rod, ends in a broad flattened 

 silvery tip, abundantly supplied by nerves. 

 The pectoral fins are broad and thick, and 

 serve the office ot hind feet, for the ventral fins, 

 palmate in form, are placed far anterior to them 

 on the body. 



The angler is insatiably voracious, but it is a 

 slow swimmer; it is, in fact, formed for taking 



