36 FISHES AND FISHERIES OF THE IRISH SEA. 



Family CATAPHRACTI. 

 AGONUS CATAPHRACTUS (Linn.) Pogge. 



(See Day's British Fishes, vol. I., p. 67, PI. XXVIII., Fig. i.) 

 (Fish. Mus., Zool. Dep., Univ. Coll., Liverpool). Local Name, "Toad-fish." 



This little fish, the Pogge (or armed Bull-head), is very common in shallow water, 

 and is constantly brought up in the shrimp trawl ; it is especially abundant at the mouths 

 of our estuaries. A. O. Walker finds it very common in the Dee estuary, and it is also 

 abundant off Liverpool, in the Barrow Channel, Menai Straits, and elsewhere. 



It ranges from the coasts of Iceland and Norway through the Baltic and North 

 Sea to the British Islands. 



Family PEDICULATI. 



LOPHIUS PISCATORIUS (Linn.) Angler. 



(Day's British Fishes, vol. L, p. 73, PI. XXIX.) 



(Fish. Mus., Zool. Dep., Univ. Coll., Liverpool). Local Name, "Devil-fish." 



This fish, also known as the Fishing Frog or Devil-fish, is fairly common all round 

 the British coast, and sometimes attains a large size (6 feet). It is commonest in the 

 south, and is frequently taken stranded on the beach, or in weirs and other nets in the 

 Dee, the Mersey, the Barrow Channel, the Menai Straits, and other parts of our area ; 

 it is occasionally taken on long lines in the neighbourhood of the Calf, Port Erin. 

 Although not marketable, when caught in the trawl the tail-part is frequently cut off, 

 sold and eaten. It is sometimes caught in Rhos Weir, near Colwyn Bay, and Mr. 

 Siddall, Chester, tells us that in June, 1901, he found one there 4ft. 6ins. long and 

 2ft. wide, which had a round brass tray of 12 inches diameter fixed in the back of its 

 mouth, and fitted so tightly that it could not be removed. It ranges from the Baltic 

 to the Mediterranean, and is also recorded from Newfoundland to the Cape of Good Hope. 



Family TRACHINID/E. 



TKACHINUS VIPERA, Cuv. & Val. Lesser Weever. 



(Day's British Fishes, vol. L, p. 81, PI. XXXI.) 



(Fish. Mus., Zool. Dep., Univ. Coll., Liverpool.) Local name. "Sting-fish." 



This fish, also known as the Viper Weever or the " Sting-fish," is the smaller 

 of the two British species of Trachinns, but is much the more abundant in our district, 

 and is also more venomous than T. draco. It was shown by Byerley (Proc. Lit. & 

 Phil. Society, Liverpool, vol. I. p. 156) that both the double-grooved opercular spine and 

 also the spines of the first dorsal fin are poison organs. 



Taken in large numbers while shrimping, and are eaten locally ; but do not 

 seem to be sold anywhere in our district. It is said that the head and dorsal fin 

 are cut off, and the fish is then fried. The presence of these poisonous fishes amongst 

 the shrimps is one of the reasons why shrimping is not carried on during the night, as it 

 would be dangerous to attempt sorting out the catch in the dark. 



We find it up to 7 inches in length at the mouth of the Mersey. It ranges from the North 

 Sea to the Mediterranean, and is common all round the English coast. We have taken it 



