THE GREY MULLET FAMILY. 223 



The Sharp-Tailed Lumpenus. {Lumpenus 

 lampretiforviis, Walb.) 



This species was one of the additions to the British fauna 

 made during the Trawling Expeditions for the Royal Commis- 

 sion (under Lord Dalhousie) in 1884^ 



A female captured off the Carr Lightship on the 23rd 

 Februai-y^ had the ovaries small and slightly developed, the 

 eggs measuring from 0"2286 to 0-3048 mm., most ranging 

 themselves round the latter diameter. They were therefore at 

 a comparatively early stage, thus corresponding proportionately 

 with those procured from the Moray Frith by Mr G. Sim, in 

 which the roe was " pretty well advanced at the end of April, 

 much more so than the milt of the males." Fries took a female 

 190 mm. long in January, and it had evidently just deposited 

 its spawn ; accordingly the authors of the Scandinavian Fishes 

 consider the spawning-season to be winter. The ripe eggs are, 

 however, unknown. 



The Grey Mullet Family. 



The Grey or Thin-Lipped Mullet. (Mugil capita, Cuv.) 



Day thinks this species breeds in winter. Raffaele refers 

 to the pelagic egg (Plate II, fig. 3) of a species of mullet 

 (probably M. capita, the grey mullet) procured in summer, and 

 gives its diameter as 1 mm. and the oil-globule 0'20 mm., so 

 that the latter is comparatively large. The pigment developed 

 in the egg was black. The larva (Plate VIII, fig. 7) has a 

 very large oil-globule at the posterior border of the yolk, and a 

 considerable pre-anal fin separates the latter from the vent. 

 Black pigment is dotted along the dorsum and head and forms 

 a well-marked bar some distance behind the vent, with a 

 smaller one midway between it and the tip of the tail, and 

 yellowish pigment is also present. A speck or two occur in 

 the dorsal marginal fin above the large bar. 



1 Dr F. Day, Proceed. Zool. Soc. 1884, p. 445. 



2 Vide 12fft Ann. Rept. Scot. Fishery Board, p. 225. 1894. 



