A HISTORY OF CORNWALL 



extent. Hence the freshwater fishes are not abundant either in species 

 or individuals. Salmon and peal are regularly fished in the Camel and 

 Fowey, but the freshwater trout are small, and a number of freshwater 

 species common in central England, as, for example, the pike (Esox 

 lucius, Linn.), the roach (Leuciscus rutilus, Linn.), the chub (L. cepbalus, 

 Linn.), the bream (Abramis brama, Linn.) are entirely absent. 



An asterisk prefixed to the name in the following list indicates a 

 freshwater species ; two asterisks denote occurrence in both fresh and salt 

 water. 



TELEOSTEANS 



ACANTHOPTERYGII 

 *I. Perch. Perca fluviatilis, Linn. 



Stated by Borlase in 1758 to be unknown 

 in Cornwall, but according to J. Couch was 

 introduced in the last century. 



**2. Sea Bass. Morone labrax, Linn. ; Labrax 

 lupus, Day. 



Common, and often of large size. Large 

 shoals are sometimes seined near Sennen Cove 

 at the Land's End. It is also taken in seines 

 at other parts of the coast, and is caught by 

 hook and line. It often enters the estuaries, 

 e.g. Helford river, the Tamar, etc. 



3. Comber. Serranus cabrilla, Linn. 



First obtained by J. Couch at Polperro ; 

 occurs frequently at Mevagissey ; recorded by 

 T. Cornish from Mount's Bay (Zoo/. 1 866). 



4. Epinepbelus eeneus, Geoffr. 



Under the English name dusky perch and 

 the scientific name Serranus gigas, Cuv., J. 

 Couch in his British Fishes described 'and 

 figured a specimen 3 feet long taken with a 

 line near Polperro about the year 1830. Day 

 gives a description and figure under the same 

 names, his figure being taken from a specimen 

 sent from the museum at Berlin. Later 

 ichthyologists, namely Moreau, Poissons de la 

 France, and Doderlein, Mediterranean Ichthy- 

 ology, have identified the figures of both Couch 

 and Day as representing a fish of the species 

 Epinepbelus aneus, Geoffr., and not Serranus 

 gigas, and this conclusion is confirmed by Dr. 

 G. A. Boulenger (Brit. Mm. Catalogue, 

 ed. 2, vol. i.) J. Couch states that two 

 rther specimens of 5. gigas were obtained 

 by Cocks at Falmouth, one of which was 

 sent to the British Museum, and R Q 

 Couch (Z ao /. 1846) stated on the authority of 

 Mr. L. Ch.rgwin that two other specimens 



i been caught in Mount's Bay. Whether 

 these other specimens were or the same 

 species as Couch's or not it is impossible to 

 decide, as nothing is known at the British 



Museum of a specimen from Falmouth. 

 Epinepbelus &neus occurs in the Mediterranean, 

 and on the west coast of Africa, but has not 

 yet been found on the coasts of Portugal or 

 the west coast of France. 



Bl. 



5- Stone Bass. Polyprion americanus, 



Schn. ; P. cernium, Day. 

 First recorded in British waters by Couch, 

 who obtained it at Polperro. Reported in 

 1845 as common between Land's End and 

 the Scilly Isles. Mr. Dunn sent one from 

 Mevagissey to the Plymouth Laboratory in 

 1892 ; Mr. Cornish obtained one at Penzance 

 in 1878. This fish is often called the wreck- 

 fish from its habit of following wreckage, 

 apparently in order to feed on the barnacles 

 with which floating timbers are usually 

 covered. Mr. J. B. Cornish gaffed one near 

 wreckage off Newlyn in 1893 (R e p. P enz 

 Nat. Hist. Sac. 1893-4). 



6. Maigre or Shade-fish. Sciarna aquila 



I ' ' ' 



Lacep. 



According to Day this fish is often taken 

 off the coasts of Devon and Cornwall in 

 summer and autumn. He mentions records 

 of one in 1843 taken off Mevagissey which 

 was 6 feet long; in 1844 one taken off 

 Fowey ; in 1863 one at Penzance recorded 

 by Cornish, and a small one in 1881 taken in 

 a trammel at Mevagissey. 



Dentex vu/garis, 



294 



7. Four-toothed Gilt Head. 



Cuv. & Val. 



A Mediterranean species of which occa- 

 sional wanderers have been taken on the 

 south coast. Two obtained by Cocks at 

 Falmouth in 1846 and 1851 are recorded in 

 J. Couch's British Fishes. 



8. Black Sea Bream. 



Montagu. 



Couch records two at Polperro, and Mr. 

 Cornish others at Penzance. The latter 

 observer states that one 7^ inches long was 

 taken at Penzance in May 1880, and a 



Cantharus lineatus, 



