381 



LONGER SUNFISH. 



Orthagoriscus oblonrjus, Bwcu, Schneider. » 



Yarrkll; Br. Fishes, vol. ii, p. 469. 

 truncatus, Fleming; Br. Animals, p. 175. 



Donovan; PL 41. 



Cephalus oblongus, Cuvier. 



Although the Longer Sunfish is perhaps as widely distributed 

 as the Shorter fish, for it is found at the Cape of Good Hope, 

 it is far from being equally common; as will appear from the 

 brevity of our enumeration of the places where it has been 

 met with. It was first made known as a British fish by Dr. 

 Borlase, who has given a representation of one which was taken 

 in Mount's Bay; where two others were obtained in the year 

 1855. One of large size is recorded as having been taken at 

 Plymouth. Donovan's specimen was caught in the Bristol 

 Channel; and Mr. Dillwyn mentions it as washed on shore at 

 Swansea. Two or three have been procured in Ireland, and 

 from the evidence of Dr. Deguid there is reason to suppose 

 it has occurred in Orkney. An example had wandered into 

 the newly-made lock of the canal at Charlston, in Cornwall, 

 and it was secured for the museum of the Royal Institution 

 of Cornwall at Truro. It is from this our figure and decription 

 have been derived; but of the habits of the species little seems 

 to be known except that it does not shew itself basking on 

 the surface like the wider fish, and that crustacean animals 

 have been found in its stomach. 



The length of this example was twenty-two inches, and the 

 depth about two and a half of the length, but including the 

 upright fins eleven inches and a half. Dimensions of the 

 mouth small, with the appearance of a band or lip over it. 

 From the snout to the eye two inches and three fourths, to 

 the root of the pectoral fin eight inches and a half, the fin 



