GENUS COTTUS. 49 



becoming whitish below. There are four to five transversely oblique blackish 

 bands on the side. The first is generally on the nape of the neck. The fins 

 are of a yellowish-grey colour. The body is slender, with a long, very thin 

 tail. The ventral fins are greatly developed. The length does not exceed 

 sixteen centimetres. 



There are only seventeen rays in the caudal fin, instead of twenty-one, as in 

 the Apron ; while the anal fin has twelve soft rays to compare with nine in the 

 Apron. Its habits are similar to those of the Apron, living in clear, deep water, 

 and feeding on worms and other small aquatic animals. Its flesh is well 

 flavoured, but the fish is not sought for with the line, and is caught only by 

 accident when fishing with the large net. The Streber is tenacious of life. 

 Many points of difference from the Apron are enumerated in the description of 

 that species (see p. 48). 



FAMILY: COTTIDJE. 



GrENUS : CottllS 



The family of the Cottida? includes a large number of carnivorous fishes, 

 which are bad swimmers. They mostly live at the bottom. Frequently 

 there is no air-bladder, though it is present in the Gurnards. The Cottida? are 

 mostly marine, and distinguished by having the sub-orbital ring articulated 

 with the pre-operculum. 



Some of the fishes enter rivers, and others live exclusively in fresh 

 water. The latter belong to the division of the Cottida? having the 

 genus Cottus for its type. These fishes have the spinous portion of the 

 dorsal fin less developed than the soft portion, and less developed than the 

 anal fin, while the body may be naked, scaled, or variously armoured. 



The fishes forming this genus have the head rounded in front, broad, 

 and depressed; the body is almost cylindrical in the middle, becoming late- 

 rally compressed posteriorly. The skin is soft and scaleless, but the lateral 

 line is marked. The jaws and vomer have villiform teeth ; the pyloric 

 appendages are few, and there is no air-bladder. The ventral fins are under 

 the throat ; the pectoral fin is always rounded, and has some of its rays simple. 

 The two dorsal fins are moderately developed. This gemis is characteristic of 

 northern seas, especially in North America and Europe, extending to the coast 

 of France. In includes a large number of species, which differ in the characters 

 of the pre-opercular spine, and in the presence or absence of teeth on the 

 vomer. Some of the species are met with in the fresh waters of Northern Asia, 

 Europe, and North America. 

 4 



