2 FISHES AND FISHERIES OF THE IRISH SEA. 



occurrence of a few of the species. We are indebted to Mr. Ernest W. L. Holt, Scientific 

 Adviser to the Fisheries Branch of the Department of Agriculture, for information about 

 some of the rarer species, to which he had paid special attention. 



We have records in all of 141 species of fishes which have been found in the Irish Sea. 

 Of these the following- 15, viz., Sebasfes norvegicus (Norway haddock), Scomber colias (Spanish 

 mackerel), Orcynus thynnus (Tunny), Thynnus pelamys (Bonito), Echeneis remora (Remora), 

 Lampris lit mi (King-fish), Caranx trachunis (Horse-mackerel), Xiphias glad ins (Sword-fish), 

 Scicena aquila (Shade-fish), Exoccetus evolvans (Flying-fish), Orthagoriscus mola (Sun-fish), 

 Zyge&na malleus (Hammer-shark), Alopias vulpes (Thresher), Torpedo nobiliana (Torpedo), and 

 Trygon paslinaca (Sting-ray), must be considered as Oceanic or foreign fishes which only 

 occasionally or accidentally visit our seas. They cannot be regarded, therefore, as contributing 

 to our markets. Then a considerable number, about 85 species, are small or inedible fish, 

 which are not dealt with by fishermen or fishmongers. But it must not be supposed on 

 that account that they are of no economic importance. They all have their food, and 

 their enemies and competitors ; some serve as food for larger fish, and many may exercise 

 an important influence on living things around them. As examples of these non-marketable 

 fish may be given : Agonus cataphractus (Pogge), Lophius piscatorius (Angler), Solea Intca 

 (Solenette), and the various species of Gobies, Blennies, Pipe-fish, and Dog-fishes. That 

 leaves about 41 edible and marketable species, as follows : Labrax lupus (Bass), Mulltts 

 barbatus (Red mullet), Sparns centrodontus (Sea bream), Trigla pint (Red gurnard), T. 

 lucenui (Yellow gurnard), T. gurnardus (grey gurnard), Scomber scombrus (Mackerel), 

 Zeus faber (John Dory), Mugil chelo (Grey mullet), Gad us callarias (Cod), G. ceglefiniis 

 (Haddock), G. merlangus (Whiting), G. viren-s (Saithe), G. pollachius (Pollach), Merlnccius 

 vulgaris (Hake), Molva vulgar is (Ling), Hippoglossus vulgaris (Halibut), Rhombus maximns 

 (Turbot), R. Ifevis (Brett), Lepidorhombus megastoma (Megrim), Pleuronectes platessa (Plaice), 

 P. microcephalus (Lemon dab), P. limanda (Dab), P.flesus (Flounder), P. cynoglossus (Witch), 

 Solea vnlgaris (Sole), Salmo salar (Salmon), S. trutta (Sea-trout), S. fario (Trout), Osmerus 

 eperlanus (Sparling), B clone vulgar is (Garfish), Engraulis cncrasicholus (Anchovy), Clupea 

 harengus (Herring), C. sprattus (Sprat), C. pilchardus (Pilchard), C. finta (Shad), Anguilla 

 vulgaris (Eel) Conger vulgar is (Conger eel), Acipenser sturio (Sturgeon), Raia baft's (Blue 

 skate), and R. clavata (Thornback). Considerably less than a third of the total number of 

 kinds of fishes in our sea are marketable. Of course many, or most, of the others are 

 edible, and some are no doubt occasionally eaten ; but the list given above shows those 

 that form the subject of our fishing industries, and which appear in our markets. 



D. S. Jordan* has divided the shore fishes of the Eastern Atlantic province into the 

 following minor faunas : The Icelandic, the British, the Mediterranean, the Guinean, and 

 the Cape fauna. Consequently our British fish fauna lies between the Icelandic to the 

 north and the Mediterranean to the south, and receives contributions from both as well as 

 stragglers from the pelagic or open-sea fauna (such as the mackerel), or even from areas 

 further afield the Arctic and the more northern of the western Atlantic regions. 



Our British fauna is, of course, mainly that of north-west Europe, and Moebius and 

 Heincke's " Die Fische der Ostsee," and Fries, Ekstrom, and Sundevall's "History of 

 Scandinavian Fishes," to the north of us, and Sauvage and Giard's " Catalogue des 

 Poissons du Boulonnais " to the south, and other lists of the fishes of neighbouring continental 



* Science, vol. XIV., p. 545, 1901. 



