FISHES 



CHONDROPTERYGIANS 



97. Toper. Galeus vulgaris (Linn.) 

 Locally, Darwen Salmon. 



This large dogfish has been taken at the 

 mouth of the Mersey, in the river above Liver- 

 pool, and elsewhere. It is, however, rather 

 rare. Along with (no doubt) other dogfish it 

 is sold occasionally as human food. 



98. Pike Dog. Acanthlas vulgaris, Risso. 

 The commonest ' dog ' in Lancashire waters. 



I witnessed a haul of a fish trawl made by Capt. 

 Wignall off Liverpool N.W. lightship in Sep- 

 tember, 1904, in which there were 350 dogfishes, 

 mainly Acanthias. 



Dogfishes have, during the last few years, 

 proved a veritable plague to fishermen. They 

 occur in great numbers, eat fish from lines, and 

 destroy nets. No method of getting rid of them 

 is likely to prove effective, and it is only by 

 making use of them as human food, openly and 

 not surreptitiously, that their evil effects may be 

 minimized. I have eaten dogfish and found it 

 not unpalatable. 



99. Lesser spotted Dogfish. Scyllium canicula 



(Linn.) 

 Less abundant than the preceding species. 

 This and S, catulus are known to fishermen as 

 ' fay-dogs.' 



100. Larger spotted Dogfish. Scyllium catulus, 



Gunn. 

 Least abundant of the ' dogs.' I have seen it 

 off the Mersey estuary. 



1 1 . Black-mouthed Dogfish. Pristiurus melano- 



stomus (Raffin) 

 A specimen of this fish in the Fisheries 

 Museum at Liverpool University is probably 

 local. 



102. Monk or Abbot. Rhina squatina {Linn.) 

 Frequently taken in the trawl nets in offshore 



waters. 



103. Torpedo. Torpedo nobiliana, Bonap. 

 The electric ray is very rare in purely Lan- 

 cashire waters. The stock books of Liverpool 

 Public Museum record one as having been 

 caught in Meols Bay, Southport, in 1884. 

 This specimen, which does not appear to be in 

 the museum, however, weighed thirty pounds. 



104. Skate or Bluet. Raja iatis, Linn. 



Very abundant in all parts of the Lancashire 

 district. 



105. White Skate. Raja alba, Lac^p. 



I have not known personally of the capture 

 of this fish, but according to Day it is recorded 

 from Liverpool. Bryerly recorded it from 

 Liverpool as R. marginata. These records are, 

 however, very doubtful. 



106. Ray. Raja clavata, Linn, 



This is the commonest ray. It is always 

 abundant. 



107. Spotted Ray. Raja maculata, Mont. 

 Also abundant. 



108. Starry Ray. Raja radiata, Don. 

 Rarer than any of the above Rajas. 



109. Cuckoo Ray or Butterfly Ray. Rajacircu- 



laris. Couch. 

 Not at all common, but got in the trawl 

 now and then. Probably Raja miraletus. 

 Couch has been confused with this species. 



no. Sting Ray. Trygon pastinaca, C\iv. 



This species is recorded in the stock books 

 of the Liverpool Museum as having been found 

 off the Mersey estuary. 



CYCLOSTOMES 



*« 



III. Sea-Lamprey. Petromyzon marinus,L'mn. 



These ' fishes ' are rare in Lancashire waters, 

 but have been taken in the shrimp trawl from the 

 Ribble estuary, the Mersey, and the inshore 

 grounds off the latter estuary. 



** 1 1 2. Lamprey or * Silver-eel.' Petromyzon 

 fluviatilis, Linn. 



Common. It has been got from Piel, Ulver- 

 ston Channel, and off Morecambe. I have seen 

 a flounder caught in the Lune which bears the 

 wound inflicted by the suctorial mouth of the 

 lamprey. It ' sucks ' on to living fishes. Fisher- 



men call it the * nine eyes ' or ' nine holes,' a 

 name which is curiously enough cognate with 

 the German popular name for the species, 

 ' Neunauge.' 



113. Hagfish. Myxine glutinosa, hinn. 



1 am doubtful as to whether this species really 

 occurs in Lancashire waters. Capt. Wignall, 

 however, informs me that he has seen cod with 

 the internal anatomy destroyed, leaving only skin 

 and bone, and my friend Mr. F. J. Cole tells me 

 that this is the effect produced by hagfishes, 

 which bore into the body of dead fishes like the 

 cod and devour the interior parts. 



An asterisk (*) indicates occurrence in fresh water only, two asterisks (**) in both fresh and salt water. 



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