DISCOBOLI. 185 



Sea snail, Couch, Fishes of the British Isles, ii, p. 190, pi. cvi. 



(Varieties.') 

 Liparis musculus, Laccp. iv, p. 683. 



Liparis lineatus, Kroyer, Nat. Tids. ii, 1847, p. 284; Gaim. Voy. Scand. Poiss. 

 pi. xiii, f. 2. 



B. v-vi, D. 34-36, P. 28, V. 1/5, A. 27-28, C. 12-14, Vert. 12/30. 



Length of head 4, of caudal fin 7£, height of body 4 in the total length. 

 Eye — small, rather in front of the middle of the length of the head, the length 

 of the snout equalling the width of the interorbital space, and equal to from 2 to 2| 

 diameters of the orbit. Head broad, its greatest width equalling three-fourths 

 of its length : body much compressed posteriorly, commencing opposite the 

 origin of the anal tin. Snout broad. Mouth anterior, wide, the maxilla reaching 

 posteriorly to beneath the front edge of the eye : the upper jaw slightly the 

 longer. Nostrils small, patent : the posterior one nearer the eye than to the 

 upper lip. No barbels. Teeth — small, disposed in both jaws in oblique rows, 

 most numerous in the upper jaw : none on vomer, palatines, or tongue, which 

 last organ is very thick. Fins — the dorsal commences over the middle of the 

 pectoral, being lowest anteriorly, while it scarcely joins the base of the caudal. 

 Pectorals reach to above the base of the anal, they are broad, extending downwards, 

 and forwards under the throat, the lower six rays being rather elongated, causing 

 the fin to appear notched. Ventrals each with six rays surrounding the disc, 

 which is rather longer than broad, and equal in diameter to about half the length 

 of the head. Anal commences below the sixth or seventh dorsal ray, is rather 

 higher than the dorsal, while its last ray is connected to the base of the caudal, 

 which latter is nearly square at its extremity. Vent about midway between the 

 hind edge of the disc and the commencement of the anal fin. Skin very loose, 

 extending over the fins. Colours — of a pale gray or brown, having irregularly 

 distributed narrow and horizontal darker bands, sometimes of a purplish colour, 

 and most distinct on the anterior portion of the body : outer half of dorsal and 

 anal fins brown, due to dark nari'ow lines. Pectoral and caudal yellowish with 

 rows of dark spots. But, as Donovan observes, its colours differ considerably at 

 different seasons as well as at stages of its growth. Young examples have been 

 seen with the under surface white, pale yellow, or even rosy, while the sides of 

 the head are of the same colour as the body. Yarrell states that many examples 

 are without streaks or lines, the edges of the dorsal and anal fins only being 

 edged with a darker colour. 



Varieties. — Donovan mentions an example in which the body was chestnut 

 colour, strongly marked with longitudinal streaks and lines of white edged 

 with blue : Mr. Holds worth, according to Couch, met with one which was 

 blotched all over with white on a very dark ground, not unlike some individuals 

 of Qottus bubalis. Collett gives a detailed account of the local forms (1) L. assimilis 

 (2) stellatus or Liparis stellatus, Malm. (3) subfuscus, (4) scorpioides (5) mixtus, 

 (6), decants, (7) scriptus, (8) lineatus or Liparis lineatus, Kroyer, (9) arcticus, 

 (lO) fuscus. 



Names. — Sea snail, due to the soft character of its body : unctuous sucker, from 

 its feel and adhesive apparatus. 



Habits. — It appears to generally remain in localities not far removed from low 

 water mark, and is occasionally found in estuaries and some little distance up the 

 mouths of muddy rivers, but rarely out of tidal influence. It appears to feed on 

 small Crustacea and other minute animal substances. 



Means of capture. — Trawling and dredging, or taken under rocks on the tide 

 receding. 



/.'/ eding. — Pennant found it full of spawn in January. Other observers have 

 believed it to breed about February, and McCulloch says that it may ascend 

 rivers from the sea to deposit its spawn, which is more usually found near the 

 river's mouth. The eggs are small and numerous: if anything, of less size than 

 in J j. Montagui. 



As food. — Not eaten except in Greenland. 



