THE LUMP-SUCKER. 



97 



The Lump-sucker, or Lump-fish (Cycloptems lumputty, has a wide range round the northern 

 coasts of Europe and the opposite coast of North America. It is a heavy-looking, ugly fish, with 

 a rough body, covered with tubercles, of which there are four longitudinal series larger than the 

 others. Couch states that the Seal is one of its most formidable enemies, and after capturing the 

 fish the mammal strips off the skin, before swallowing its prey. They are also fed upon by Sharks 

 and Skates. The Lump-fish commonly has a length of ten inches. It feeds on small Crustacea 

 and young fish. The female deposits her eggs in a hollow, or sort of nest, and after they have 

 been fertilised the male is said to keep close watch over them. After the young are hatched, the 



ARMED OR MAILED GUHXAKD. 



young fishes attach themselves by their suckers to the sides and back of the male, who carries them 

 away with him into deep water. The spawn is of a pink colour. The male is much smaller than 

 the female. There is very little lime in the bones of the fishes of this genus. 



The Sea Snail (Lijyaris vulgaris) is often known as the Unctuous Lump-sucker. It is a 

 northern fish, which in British seas is rarely more than four inches long. It has been stated 

 to ascend rivers, but is usually found under stones near low water. Soon after death it dissolves 

 on exposure to the sun. The skin is smooth, and the colour variable, often marked with irregular 

 longitudinal dark lines on a pale-brown body. 



FAMILY XXXIII. GOBIIDJE. 



The Gobiidse are a large family of fishes, the genus Gobius alone containing more than 150 

 species, while the family includes more than twenty genera. They are fishes having an elongated 

 body, which is sometimes naked. They are all carnivorous, and live at the bottom. Some of the 

 species occur indifferently in salt and fresh water. They are found throughout temperate and 

 tropical regions. The body is always scaly, with a short head ; the teeth are generally small, 

 sometimes with distinct canines at the corners of the mouth. The ventral fins unite below the 

 203 



