( 429 ) 



THE GIANT GOBY {GOBIUS CAPITO, C. & V.). 



By Frederick Pickard- Cambridge, F.Z.S. 



(Plate VIII.) 



In ' The Zoologist ' for 1899 (p. 429) an editorial note refers to 

 the discovery of this magnificent fish on the coast of Brittany by 

 Mr. G. A. Boulenger, a species which had hitherto been taken only 

 in the Mediterranean. It was remarked by the captor at that time 

 that in all probability this Goby would also be found in the South 

 of England, presumably off the coast of Cornwall ; for Couch, who 

 lived at Polperro, spoke of Gobius niger attaining the length of 

 9-10 in., and being confined to rock-pools. The true G. niger, as 

 usually identified by authors, however, never attains a greater length 

 than 5 in. With the object of finding out if possible what this big 

 Goby might be, at Mr. Boulenger's suggestion I hunted the rock-pools 

 in the vicinity of Port Scatho, between Falmouth and Fowey, in Corn- 

 wall, where I happened to be during August and September of this 

 year. 



The result was highly gratifying, for the Giant Goby was there 

 in plenty, both large and small. It is certainly strange that Couch 

 should not have distinguished between this fish and the Black Goby, 

 for the same characters distinguish it from this species as serve for 

 a distinction between the Black Goby and the Bock Goby (G. paga- 

 nellus) ; and Couch was well acquainted with the distinctive characters 

 in the latter case. Couch's figure of the Black Goby (G. niger) is 

 obviously taken from one of these large rock-pool Gobies. 



The discovery of this new British fish in Cornwall shows how much 

 there is still to be done in identifying species of fish and ascertaining 

 their distribution, apart from the question of their habits and foodstuffs. 

 Messrs. Holt and Byrne have published a most excellent monograph 

 on the British Gobies, but unfortunately the recognition of the Giant 

 Goby in British waters was not made in time for its inclusion in that 

 work, only issued at the beginning of the year. 



[We have to thank the publishers of the 'Field ' for their courtesy 

 in lending us the block to illustrate this paper. — Ed.] 



