THE GURNARD FAMILY 



THIS family includes both the gurnards and the bullheads, 

 the latter being of no commercial importance. The distinguish- 

 ing characters are that the bones of the head are armed with 

 backward-directed spines ; that there are two dorsal fins and one 

 ventral, the second dorsal and ventral being long and opposite 

 to one another and supported by soft or flexible fin-rays, while 

 the first dorsal has spiny rays, and is shorter than either of the 

 others. The breast-fins are large, the pelvic or hinder pair on 

 the chest beneath them ; the hinder edge of the tail-fin is rounded 

 or straight. Scales are well developed and more or less spiny 

 in the gurnards, absent in the bullheads. The body is rather 

 round and plump. 



These fishes are always of rather small size, and not powerful 

 or active swimmers. They live on the bottom, near or not far 

 from the coasts, and are found in all seas, arctic, temperate, and 

 tropical. The following are found in British and Irish seas : 



I. Species in which the skin is soft and scaleless, and the 

 breast fin in the ordinary condition. 



1. The Miller's Thumb. No spine on the opercular bone 

 or above the eye. First dorsal fin narrow, only half as 

 high as the second. Not more than 5 inches long. Lives 

 in fresh water. 



2. Father-lasher, or Short-spined (Cottus}. Sea-scorpion. 

 First dorsal fin nearly as high as the second. A spine 

 above the eye, and four principal spines on the gill-o 

 the uppermost of which is short and smooth. 



3. Long-spined (Cottus}. Five principal spines on the ^ill- 

 cover, the uppermost of which is long and rough. 



4. Four-horned (Cottus}. Two pairs of large rough 



