190 



GADIDiE. 



SUBBRACHIAL 

 MALACOPTERYGII. 



GADID^. 



THE FIVE-BEARDED ROCKLING. 



Motella quinquecirrata , Cuvier, Regne An. t. ii. p. 334, note. 

 ,, mustela, Five-Bearded Rockling, Jenyns, Man. Brit. Veit. 



p. 450, sp. 136. 

 Mustela vulgaris, Willughby, p. 121. 



Gadus mustela, Linnsus. 



,, ,, Five-Bearded Cod, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 268, 



pi. 36. 

 Don. Brit. Fish. pi. 14. 

 „ „ . „ Gade, Flem. Brit. An. p. 193, sp. 85. 



I HAVE found the Five-Bearded Rockling, when of small 

 size, a very common fish on the Kentish coast in autumn, 

 left by the retiring tide, in small pools among the rocks, and 

 generally lying concealed under the tufts of sea-weed that 

 hang over the edges of the stones into the water. I have 

 observed this fish as far to the westward as Portland Island. 

 Colonel Montagu considered it more rare in Devonshire than 

 the species with three barbules at the mouth, last described : 

 Mr. Couch observes it on the Cornish shore : it has been 

 taken at Dublin and Belfast ; and Mr. Low says it is com- 

 mon in Orkney, where it is found under stones among sea- 

 Aveed, but seldom exceeding nine or ten inches in length. 



