Notes on the SucJcer Fishes, Liparis and Lepadogaster. 145 



as befits a sluggish fish finding its food on the ground, in the 

 young is least prominent, in keeping with its more active and 

 nervous existence. At this stage, also, the fins are repre- 

 sented by a continuous diaphragm, with indications of rays, 

 all round from the anterior commencement of the dorsal fin 

 to the anus (Figs. 4 and 5). This character is lost in Z. 

 Vecandolii ; but according to Day, it distinguishes L. Gouanii, 

 although this species, as figured in Couch under the name of 

 L. Cornuhicus, has no such continuity of fins — the dorsal, 

 caudal, and anal being all sufficiently clearly defined. As 

 the specimens figured in Day came from the Channel Islands, 

 while that of Couch was drawn directly in Cornwall, it 

 may possibly be that another species exists in the South 

 without the continuous fin around the caudal, as we can 

 scarcely imagine Couch figuring this, to him the best-known 

 and most familiar species, with such a marked characteristic 

 as the continuity of the fins misrepresented. 



Lepadogaster Decandolii of Day is well figured as the 

 Connemara Sucker of Couch, the two first figures being 

 females, the last a male. This led Couch to suggest two 

 species, owing to the marked difference in appearance between 

 the sexes. My attention was first called to this, by finding, 

 in March 1883, a pair of these interesting Suckers under 

 nearly every stone I lifted on a stretch of rough boulder- 

 clad foreshore on Loch Creran. These were so distinct in 

 appearance, and so affectionate and attentive to each other, 

 that I decided they must be male and female, more especi- 

 ally as they had a "lump" of ova in most cases alongside. 



Yet my deduction from the presence of ova was quite 

 wrong, for these were the ova of Centronotus, which are pale 

 and opalescent, while the ova of Lepadogaster are spread 

 evenly on stones or shells, and are of a fine pinkish tinge. 

 These numerous pairs were consequently merely sheltering 

 there until the return of the tide, and were occupying their 

 customary haunts. As the usual months for throwing their 

 ova are June and July, it is clear that they pair early, if indeed 

 they are not monogamous and constant in their affections. 



In the month of June last I took two several pairs, and 

 placed them in dishes of sea-water in the house, at a time 



VOL. IX. K 



