A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



44. Hake. Merluccius vulgarls, Linn. 

 Although this fish is so common on the 



south and west coasts of this island I never 

 remember seeing more than one specimen 

 which had been captured on the Essex coast. 

 The fish was sent me by a dealer to name. 

 Dale says (Hist, of Harwich, p. 429), 'Hake 

 is sometimes caught here, and when salted 

 and dried is called " Poor Jack." ' 



45. Ling. Molva vulgaris, Flem. 



Mr. E. A. Fitch writes me that his in- 

 formant, G. Gibson, has seen several Thames 

 examples 9 to 12 inches long during the 

 winter and spring months, and one was ob- 

 tained in the trawl below Southend pier on 

 April i, 1897. It measured I foot in 

 length and contained in its stomach a rockling 

 half as big as itself. 



46. Five-bearded Rockling. Motella mustela, 



Linn. 



This is not common, our muddy shores 

 not suiting its habits, but I possess a specimen 

 taken in the Colne. Day (Fishes of Great 

 Britain, i. 316) gives the mouth of the 

 Thames among its haunts. 



47. Three-bearded Rockling. Motella tri- 



cirrata, Linn. 



Mr. E. A. Fitch has taken this in the 

 Blackwater. 



48. Lesser Fork-beard. Raniceps raninus, 



Linn. 



Day records (Fishes of Great Britain, i. 321) 

 the capture of one by Mr. S. W. Wand in 

 May, 1858, in the river Crouch. 



49. Holibut. Hippoglossus vulgaris, Flem. 

 Mr. H. L. Matthams informs me this is 



sometimes taken in the ' keddles ' on the 

 sands at Foulness, but it may be considered 

 a rare visitor to the Thames estuary. One 

 was captured in 1856 by hook and line. 

 It was 3 ft. long. Another 5 ft. long is 

 reported to have been captured about thirty 

 years ago. 



50. Long Rough Dab. Hippoglossus liman- 



doides, Bloch. 



Mr. E. A. Fitch informs me that speci- 

 mens of this fish have been taken in the 

 Blackwater in the spring. 



51. Turbot. Rhombus maximus, Linn. 

 This well known fish is taken on all parts 



of our coast where suitable ground occurs. 

 It is most frequently captured by trawling, 



but many are caught on the sandy shores or 

 Foulness in ' keddles,' that is, in V-shaped 

 nets the apex of which points seawards. 



52. Brill. Rhombus leevis, Linn. 



This fish is captured in the same manner 

 and is not rare. 



53. EckstrSm's Topknot. Zeugopterus uni- 



maculatus, Risso. 



Occasionally taken, but very rare. 



54. Muller's Topknot, Common Topknot. 



Zeugopterus punctatus, Bloch. 

 As an Essex fish is very rare. Mr. E. A. 

 Fitch informs me one was caught in the 

 Blackwater, September 6, 1900. Another in 

 the Crouch, November 6, 1900. And as 

 both of these were considered by the fisher- 

 men to be young brill, it is probable that they 

 may be more common than they are gener- 

 ally considered to be. 



55. Scaldfish or Megrim. Arnoghssus laterna, 



Walb. 



Mr. Fitch informs me that one of these 

 fish was caught in a trawl near the Chapman 

 on April 21, 1900. It measured 5 in. long. 



56. Plaice. Pleuronectes platessa, Linn. 

 Small sized plaice are very common on all 



parts of the coast, and if light tackle and 

 small hooks are used they afford good sport. 



57. Smear Dab, Lemon Dab or Mary Sole. 



Pleuronectes microcephalus, Donovan. 

 This is taken frequently on the coast and 

 in the estuaries only by trawling or other 

 forms of netting. Is one of the best flavoured 

 of the family. 



58. Pole, Craig Fluke or Long Flounder. 



Pleuronectes cynoglossus, Linn. 

 Very rare. Mr. E. A. Fitch writes me 

 that he has a specimen from the Blackwater. 



59. Dab, Sand Dab. Pleuronectes limanda, 



Linn. 

 Very common on all our coasts. 



** 60. Flounder. Pleuronectes flesus, Linn. 



A fish common everywhere on all parts of 

 the coast, ascending rivers much beyond the 

 tideway and frequently seen in the slightly 

 brackish water of the marsh ditches. 



61. Sole. Solea vulgaris, Quensel. 



This very common and delicious fish occurs 

 on all our sandy coasts in great but largely 

 diminishing numbers. 



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