294 SALT-WATER FISHES 



some examples arrived, Dunn found them to be a species 

 of gadoid new to him, and accordingly sent them for iden- 

 tification to the Plymouth Laboratory, where they were at once 

 recognised as G. esmarkii. There seem to be two varieties or 

 races, one considerably the larger. In colour the Norway 

 Pout is dull grey on the back and sides, and paler below. 

 Tbe latest record is from Plymouth ( 1 900), where an example 

 was recorded by Garstang as taken in quite shallow water.* 



The Silvery Gade (G. argent ens') was once taken, in the 

 Irish survey, in deep water. Another rare gadoid. Mora 

 mediterranean was trawled in 500 fathoms off Achill Head in 

 1890. It had not previously been recorded north of the Bay 

 of Biscay. The largest specimen measured nearly i%\ in., 

 and had the gadoid barbel. It has long ventral fins, and is 

 grey on the back and silver below. 



The Bearded Ophidium {Ophidium barbatum), of which a 

 single British example is said to have been taken near Padstow, 

 has small scales and a pair of barbel-like growths beneath the 

 throat, which are a development of the ventral fins. It is 

 a Mediterranean ally of the sand-eels, and its relationship to 

 the cod family is thus indirect. 



Drummond's Echiodon {Fierasfer dentatus) is an allied 

 little snakelike fish, also of Mediterranean origin, reddish in 

 colour, and having small spots on the sides. The vent is 

 situated close to the throat. Two British examples only are 

 on record, both of them taken on the Irish coast, one in Co. 

 Antrim (1836), and the other in Co. Kerry (1852). The 

 former measured 1 1 in., and the latter 8 in. Both were 

 found dead on the beach. These little fishes are chiefly inter- 

 esting on account of their habit of quartering themselves on 

 jelly-fish and holothurians, and Bashford Dean points out that 

 this commensal habit has resulted in their retaining their 

 * Journ. Mar. Biolog. Assoc, November, xgoo, p. 274. 



