A HISTORY OF DEVONSHIRE 



mens were taken from the stomach of a 

 pollack caught 40 miles north-west of St. Ives. 

 The Hamoaze specimen is the first recorded 

 from the English Channel, and the first 

 obtained in Britain from the shallow water of 

 an estuary. 



.83. Hake. Merluccius vulgaris, Cuv. 



A characteristic southern gadoid. Not so 

 abundant now as formerly. Accounts agree 

 in stating that 40 or 50 years ago it was 

 plentiful in the inshore waters of Devon and 

 Cornwall, where now it is comparatively 

 scarce. Large numbers are landed at Milford 

 Haven by the deep-sea steam trawlers. 



84. Greater Fork-beard. Phycis blennoides, 



Bl. Schn. 

 Rare, and usually a deep-water fish ; one 

 however was trawled in Cawsand Bay accord- 

 ing to Mr. Holt {Journ. M.B.A. v. 147). 



85. Ling. Molva vulgaris, Fleming. 

 Common ; large specimens are taken in 



deep water. 



86. Five-bearded Rockling. Motella mustela, 



Linn. 

 Not uncommon. 



87. Four-bearded Rockling. Motella cimbria, 



Linn. 



According to Holt certainly occurs in the 

 Plymouth district. A small species not known 

 to exceed 14 inches in length. 



88. Three-bearded Rockling. Motella tri- 



cirrata, Bl. 

 Quite common. The young are found at 

 the surface in June ; they are silvery with 

 elongated pectoral fins, at the end of which 

 are black spots. At a later stage up to 6 or 7 

 inches in length the fish are of a uniform dark 

 colour and are found under stones between 

 tide marks. The adults which reach 20 

 inches in length are light chestnut in colour 

 with a number of black spots or blotches. 

 These are found in deep water, and the varie- 

 gated colouring is very striking. The young 

 in the surface-swimming stage are known as 

 mackerel midges and were described as a 

 distinct species under various names. 



89. Motella maculata, Risso. 



Occurs as a distinct species according to 

 Holt. Day considers it ' in part ' a synonym 

 of tricirrata, 



90. Lesser Fork-beard. Raniceps raninus, 



Linn. 



Occasional specimens occur. One is 

 recorded from Plymouth (Day). 



PLEURONECTOIDEI 



9 1 . Halibut. Hippogkssus vulgaris, Flem. 



A northern deep-water fish, which is but 

 rarely taken on the coast of Devon. 



92. Long Rough Dab. Hippoglossoides limand- 



oides, Bl. 

 Day says he received specimens from 

 Brixham, and it is certainly landed by the 

 trawlers occasionally both at Brixham and 

 Plymouth, but in these cases it may be caught 

 on distant grounds. It is a northern species. 



93. Turbot. Rhombus maximus, Linn. 

 Common, and reaches a large size. The 



young in pelagic condition and in process of 

 metamorphosis have often been taken in 

 Sutton Pool and othei: inlets of Plymouth 

 Sound, and taken alive to the Plymouth 

 Laboratory. 



94. Brill. Rhombus lavis, Gottsche. 

 Taken with the turbot by trawlers. The 



young in pelagic condition are more common 

 than those of the turbot. 



95. Common Topknot. Zeugopterus punctatus, 



Bl. [Rhombus punctatus, Gtinther). 

 Not uncommon in Plymouth Sound and 

 outside it. 



96. One-spotted Topknot, Zeugopterus uni- 



maculatus, Risso. 



Three specimens, one male and two females, 



trawled by Holt in June 1897 in Teign- 



mouth Bay. One specimen, a male, 4 miles 



south of Mewstone, Plymouth, in May 1898. 



97. Norway Topknot. Zeugopterus norvegicus, 



GUnther. 

 Five specimens trawled in summer in 1891 

 and 1892 a few miles south of Plymouth 

 Breakwater. 



98. Sail-fluke or Megrim. Lepidorhombus 



megastoma, Donov. 

 This species is taken in considerable 

 numbers by the Plymouth trawlers. The 

 first name was given to it from its alleged 

 habit of floating to the shore in the Orkneys 

 with its tail erected like a sail. It is called 

 megrim by the Plymouth fishermen, a name 

 given by Couch to Arnoglossus laterna. 



99. Scald-fish or Scald-back. Arnoglossus 



laterna, Walb. 

 This species is very common off the coast, 

 the young in shallow waters on sandy ground, 

 the adults on the trawling grounds. The 

 adult male is distinguished by the elongation 

 of the anterior rays of the dorsal fin, and of 



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