THE SUCKER FAMILY 35 I 



membrane round the tail-end of the body is present, but it has 

 primitive fin-rays. There are, however, no tubercles in the skin, 

 the surface is smooth, and the shape more like that of a tad- 

 pole than of the parent fish. 



The young at somewhat later stages are abundant among 

 weeds on the shore, and are also frequently taken at considerable 

 distances at sea, adhering to detached floating pieces of sea- 

 weed. Fig. 155 shows the appearance of a specimen <- inch 

 lone. 



The Diminutive Suckers (Liparis vulgaris and Liparis 



Hlontagiii). 



It is not necessary for the purpose of the present work to dis- 

 tinguish between these two kinds. They are sometimes called 

 sea-snails. They have a soft, movable skin without scales or 

 tubercles. The sucker is very similar in structure to that of the 

 lump-sucker, but there is only one undivided dorsal fin, the rays 

 of which are of uniform, very moderate length. The ventral fin 

 is similar ; both extend to the root of the small tail-fin. The 

 head and body are smooth and rounded, the tail tapering and 

 flattened from side to side. The colours are brown or yellowish- 

 brown with lines or spots. The greatest length of these fish is 

 not more than 6 inches. 



Like the lump-sucker the}^ range to the arctic regions. The}' 

 haunt the shore, and are usually common in estuaries. In 

 relation to fishes of commercial value their only importance is 

 that their spawn has been frequently mistaken by naturalists as 

 well as by fishermen for the spawn of the herring. The spawn 

 forms little rounded masses of eggs attached to one another, 

 and fastened to zoophytes or red sea-weed. It is usually found 

 on one particular zoophyte called Hydrallviaiinia. The mass 

 is about as big as a marble or larger. Individually the eggs are 

 very similar in size to those of the herring, but a little smaller, 

 namely, V2'] mm. or -^ inch in breadth. But the mass of eggs 

 can be usually distinguished from a clump of herring spawn by its 

 more compact rounded shape, the masses of herring eggs being 

 more irregular. Herring spawn is also more transparent and 

 delicate looking, the membranes enclosing the eggs being 



