FISHES 



67. Lichia vadige, Risso. 



In the Report of the Penzance Natural 

 History Society, 1893-4, Dr. Gtlnther records 

 a specimen of this species 19 inches long 

 taken in a pollack net off Prussia Cove in 

 1892 (see also Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 ser. 6, x. 335). 



68. Rudder-fish. Pamme/as perciformis, 



Mitchill. 



The only British specimen was obtained 

 about six miles from Penzance in October 

 1874 and was recorded by Mr. Cornish (Zool. 

 1874). It was found alive in a floating 

 wooden case of which one board was wanting 

 from the top. Day states that it was pre- 

 served in the collection of Sir John St. Aubyn. 

 Mr. Cornish, thinking it was a new species, 

 gave it the name Pimelepterus cornubiensis. 



Mr. Holt gives an interesting paper on this 

 and other species of the family Strematada 

 (Rep. Fisheries of Ireland for 1901, p. 70), 

 and states that in September 1901 a large 

 shoal of rudder-fish followed a barnacle- 

 covered log which drifted ashore at the Aran 

 Islands. The peasants were so afraid of them 

 that they ran away, believing that they were 

 sheeogues or fairies. 



69. Blackfish. Centrolophus pompilus, Linn. 

 Two specimens were taken at Looe in 



1721 and recorded by Borlase in his Natural 

 History of Cornwall. Couch mentions one 

 taken in 1830, a second on a hand-line near 

 Polperro in 1831, and another came with a 

 ship into St. Ives Harbour and was gaffed. 

 There are several later records. Mr. Gat- 

 combe (Zool. 1872) records one taken in a 

 mackerel net off the Deadman, which ap- 

 peared to have followed a large porbeagle 

 taken in the same net. Mr. Dunn knew of a 

 dozen taken at Mevagissey. Mr. Holt describes 

 six or eight specimens taken in a mackerel 

 net near the Runnelstone in 1891. They 

 were all small specimens between 12 and 14 

 inches in length (Journ. M.E.A. ii. 265). 



70. Cornish Centrolophus. Centrolophus 



britannicus, GUnther. 



This is probably a spurious species. A 

 specimen was thrown on the shore near Looe, 

 obtained by Couch and presented by him to 

 the British Museum, where it was stuffed and 

 the descriptions and figures were taken from 

 the stuffed specimen which, according to 

 Day, is distorted. It was probably a specimen 

 of C. pompilus. 



7 1 . Greater Weever. Trachinus draco, Linn. 

 Common on sandy ground. Couch men- 

 tions that they are sometimes taken in drift 



nets, as though they were in the habit of 

 swimming towards the surface at night. 



72. Lesser Weever, Viper Weever. Trach- 



inus vipera, Cuv. & Val. 

 Common in sandy bays. In both this and 

 the larger species there is a spine at the upper 

 part of the operculum which is poisonous, 

 and a prick from it causes intense pain for a 

 short time. 



73. Dragonet or Skulpin. Callionymus fyra, 



Linn. 



Very common. The male is distinguished 

 by its brilliant blue and yellow colouring, and 

 by the great elongation of the rays of the 

 anterior dorsal fin. The eggs are buoyant, 

 and the sexes perform an elaborate courtship. 



74. Spotted Dragonet. Callionymus maculatus, 



Bonap. 



A fully developed male trawled by Mr. 

 Holt in Falmouth Bay, July 1897, depth 30 

 to 35 fathoms. Previously known from the 

 Hebrides and the uFirth of Clyde, and from 

 the west coast of Ireland. Common in the 

 Mediterranean. 



75. Cornish Sucker. Lepadogaster gouanii, 



Lacp. 



Common under stones and in pools between 

 tide marks. 



76. Double-spotted Sucker. Lepadogaster 



bimaculatus, Flem. 

 Not so common as the preceding species. 



77. Connemara Sucker. Lepadogaster decan- 



dolii. 



J. Couch states that he obtained only a 

 few specimens. In his account of dredging 

 excursions subsidized by the British Associa- 

 tion in 1866 he mentions a specimen obtained 

 at 40 fathoms. 



78. Cat-fish or Wolf-fish. Anarrhichas lupus, 



Linn. 



According to J. Couch has been taken at 

 Looe and Fowey, but it is a northern fish 

 very seldom seen in Cornwall. 



79. Gattorugine. Blennius gattorugine, Bloch. 

 Common in rather deep water, and fre- 

 quently taken in crab-pots. 



80. Montagu's Blenny. Blennius galerita, 



Linn. 



Common in Mount's Bay between tide 

 marks, and on other parts of the coast. 



81. Butterfly Blenny. Blennius ocellaris, Linn. 

 Not uncommon at Falmouth (Cocks), and 



occurs also in Mount's Bay. 



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