J'M PISCES. 



Solea, the Sio]e. Eyes on the rislit, mouth twisted in the opposite direction, and with teeth only in the sides oppo- 

 site to the eyes ; form oblonp: ; snout rounded, ;;enerally in advance of the mouth ; dorsal antl anal inari^ining; ail 

 the sides of th<^ body. iS. viilgnrin, the Common Sole, is dark-brown on the upper part, with a strong- skiii and 

 small scales, and white on the under. S. pegiisa, the Lemon Sole, is paler in colour, and wider and thicker than 

 the Common Sole. All the Soles are excellent fishes, and may be had in good condition nearly all the year. 



Me/}Ochirus, resembles the Sole, but has only one small pectoral on the same side with the eyes, which is the 

 right side in all the Soles. Tlie Variegated Sole of the Mediterranean— occasionally found on the British coast — is 

 aji example. 



Ac/lint.-,-, are Soles entirely without pectoral fins, some having the vcntrals distinct, and others having them 

 united to the anal. 



THE THIRD FAMILY OF THE MALACOPTERYGII SUB-P.KACIIIATL 

 Discoboli (Fishes A\itb tiie ventrals formed into a Sucker, or Disc). 



The disc formed by the ventrals is the family characteristic, and they consist of two genera, both of 

 which have the power of attaching; themselves to rocks and other hai'd suhitances, l)y means of tlie 

 disc, and thus they are capalde of remaining in situations wlicre otherwise the cmrent of ilie water 

 would carry them away. [This curious ]iroperty enables these fishes to remain and lind iheir food m 

 situations where every other species offish would be sw^ept away by the current cd" the ^^ater.] 



Lepidogasff^r. — ^These small fishes have large pectorals reaching to the under-side of the body, where 

 they consist of stouter rays, incline forwards, and unite witli each otliiT by a transverse membrane 

 directed forwards under tlie throat, and compo^.-d of the united ventral tins. Body without scales; 

 head broad and depressed; snout curved and protractile; gills with little opening, and four or five 

 rays; only one soft dorsal opposite the anal, and both reaching to the l)ase of the caudal. Intestines 

 short, straight, and without cceca. They have no air-bladder, but they swim briskly. Thcie are two 

 subgenera ; — ■ 



Lepidogasfer, properly so called, have tlie membranes representinjr the vcntrals extended to one complete disc; 

 and behind this, another disc, formed by Die united pectorals. Sonie have the dorsal and anal united to the 

 c'mdal, and Others not. [There are several BritiBh species fuuiid on the bouth and we-st coasts ; but they are small, 

 and ot un interest, except to naturalists.] 



Co/'iri-n.i\ have the disc entire, but with a cleft on the sides, and the membrane produced ; the gill-opening 

 w ider, and the dorsal and caudal smaller, and separated from the anal. [Of this there Is one small British species, 

 not abo\e an inch and a half in length, bright red above, and paler below. The suckei' adheres I'cadily to any ViCt 

 surface, but not to a dry one.] 



Cgclop/eriis. — Kays of the ventrals suspended rouml the pelvis, united by a single memhrane, and 

 forming the disc; mouth wide; small pointed teetli in the jaws and phar\ nx ; gill-lid small, and opening 

 close t)elow' ; six gil!-ra\ s ; pectorals large, almost meeting under the throat, so as to siiiTound the disc 

 there, but forming no part of it. Their bones are soft; skin naked and mucous, hut studded with hard 

 granulations; stomacli large, and with numerous cccca ; intestine long; air-hladder moderate. There 

 are two subgenera : — 



Liiiii/ii/.s, \s'd\i: the lii.st ilurv;il more or Ic^s \i-ilili-, but wiih .'dimple rays; the second opposite the anal, with 

 b tan dual rays ; (lie Ijody is tlink. ['tlie Luiup-li^h is found in the British seas, and as far north of them as ihe 

 inaTgin of the polar ice. Win u in good condition for the table, it is red, or rather various shades of blue, inn'|ile, 

 and reddish orange; luU when out of season, it faties to a dull Idue. It attains considerable size, and i^ a high 

 and thick fish, — the height being about half the length, and the thickness half the height.] 



Leparu^, with a single dorsal, and this and the anal both long ; the body long, and compressed towards the tail. 

 [There are one or two British species, some of which are called *' Snail-fislies," from their ^oft and unctuous 

 texture, and the readiness with wdiich they adhere to rocks.] 



Echcneis. This genus, like Pleuronectes, might foi'm a distinct family of Sub-lirachial Malacoptcrygii. They 

 have a disc on the head, formed of cartilaginous lannuEe, ranged transversely or obliquely backwards, and with 

 teeth or spines on their posterior edge. These are moveable, so that by means of them the fish can attarli itself 

 fii-mly to a rock, the bottom of a ship, or any other substance; and it is owing to this that it used to be alleged 

 that these fishes could at once arrest the course of the swiftest vessel. Body long and scaly, a snndl ilurs;d oppo- 

 site the anal, top of the head flat, lower jaw projectile, teeth small, tongue and vomer rough, eight gdl-rays, large 

 stomach, short intestine, six or eight cccca, and no air-bladder. This species are not numerous, and they inhabit 

 generally the warmer seas. [£. rcworrr, the Common Sucking-fish, is abundant in the Mediterranean i and has 

 been met with as a straggler on the Jiritish shores,— Dr. Turton having fuuud one riding on the back of a Cod- 

 fish, at Swansea, in 1306. The West Indian species are larger.] 



