188 



FISH GALLERY. 



Weevers. 



In the first family, the Trachinidse, are included the Weevers 

 (fig. 89), small fishes with a large, protractile mouth, an elongate 

 body with cycloid scales in oblique bands, a short spinous dorsal 

 fin, and a long soft dorsal and anal. The Weevers are found off 

 the coasts of Europe and West Africa. There are two British 

 species, which can inflict painful wounds by means of the dorsal 

 and opercular spines, which are connected with poison glands and 

 are channelled for the passage of the venom. The Greater Weever, 



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Fig. 89. — Weever, Trachinus draco, with an enlarged 

 view of the poison spine. 



Trachinus draco, 854, is a marketable fish in France ; the flesh is 

 of excellent flavour, but our fishermen usually prefer to throw the 

 fish away than to run the risk of being pricked by the poison- 

 spines when handling the fishes in sorting them out from the 

 others in the hoat or on the quay. The name ' Weever ' is pro- 

 bably a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon " wivere," a viper or 

 serpent, and has reference to the poison-spines. The Viperine 

 Weever, Trachinus vipera, 855, is smaller than Trachinus draco, 

 and lives in shallower parts of the coast ; it differs also in having 

 a fringe on the lips and in having no scales on the cheeks and 

 gill -covers. 



The Nototheniidse are closely allied to the Weevers, but differ in 

 the pelvic fins being widely separated. There is a single nostril 

 on each side, and the scales are usually ctenoid, sometimes 

 absent. The Nototheniid fishes occur mostly in southern seas. 

 Three species of Percis are shown (857-859), and one of 

 Chatnichthys (856). 



