COMMON SEA-CAT. 
235 
pose than the masticatory organs of the Sea-cat, pro- 
vided that in addition to the crushing of the hard sub- 
stances it is not required that they should be ground tine. 
Of the power of the jaws one may convince oneself 
by opening the stomach, which may be chock-full of 
crushed, thick-shelled mussels. The food of the Sea- 
cat consists chiefly of mussels and other shell-fish. It 
eats them in great quantities, and the thin-walled in- 
testine is often full of thin shells. It does not despise 
the larger crustaceans — it seems to be especially fond 
of large hermit-crabs — sea-urchins and star-fish, with 
which the seas where it lives, abound; but apparently 
leaves its companion fishes in peace, being perhaps of 
too sluggish temperament to trouble them. It seems 
hardly probable that- the Sea-cat attacks other creatures 
than those of which its food is composed; but in Olsen’s 
Piscatorial Atlas (1883) divers are warned against meddl- 
ing with this fish in the water, as in that case they 
cannot avoid being assailed by it; and in Brown-Goode 
( Fisheries and Fishery Industries of Unit. States, sect. 
I, p. 249) we read that the Sea-cat. is known to have 
attacked persons wading at low-tide in the shore-pools 
among the rocks at Eastport, Maine. 
The Sea-cat, which in Norway bears the name of 
Steenbider (Stone- biter), occurs along the whole west 
coast of Scandinavia, from the Sound to the extreme 
north of Norway. It also lives on the Murmanian coast 
and in the White Sea, and is common in Iceland and 
Greenland. On the American side of the Atlantic it 
has been found as far south as Cape Hatteras. On the 
European side it is common in the North Sea, but 
becomes rare on the west coast of France. It seldom 
enters the Baltic, but has been found in the neighbour- 
hood of Stralsund, in Kiel Bay and off Travemimde 
(Mob., Hcke). On the west coast of Sweden it cannot 
be regarded as rare; but as it leads a solitary life, it 
is nowhere taken in large numbers, only few specimens 
being occasionally caught. That it is a stationary fish 
in Sweden, appears from the fact that it is taken all 
the year round, though oftenest, according to Malm, 
from March to May, according to Fries, from May 
to June. 
The long, soft body, tapering tail and small caudal 
fin of the Sea-cat probably render it a poor long- 
distance swimmer. Its movements too, are sinuous, 
like those of the Eel, and in general slow. It keeps 
close to the bottom, generally at a depth of from 10 
to 25 fathoms, hidden among stones or seaweed. It is 
fond of lying still, with the body doubled up. The 
spawning-season is stated to occur in spring, the time 
of year when it is oftenest taken. 
There is no special fishery for this fish. The Sea- 
cats which are occasionally taken, are generally caught 
on the hooks used in Cod-fishing, sometimes in nets 
and also in the Herring-seine. In spite of the fact 
that their smell is highly repulsive to most people and 
their appearance by no means prepossessing, they are a 
favourite article of food among the fishermen of Bohus- 
lan, who always regard a Sea-cat. as a good catch, and 
its liver, in particular, as a delicacy. “Stewed and pre- 
pared like the Burbot, the Sea-wolf ( hafsvarg ),” as 
TIollberg called it, “is very good, and in flavour can 
scarcely be distinguished from the former . . . On Oroust 
and Tjorn the peasants make a kind of porridge of the 
hafskuse ” (Sea-king, as it is called on these islands). 
In the towns there is less demand for it, and it is 
therefore more seldom offered for sale. However, not 
only the flesh, but also the strong skin is of compara- 
tively high value. 
When caught, the Sea-cat. must be handled care- 
fully, at the risk of a bite from its powerful jaws; and 
it. keeps firm hold of whatever object it has once got. 
between its teeth. On this account the fisherman gener- 
ally gives it its death-blow before he ventures to free 
it. from the hook. In some places it is the custom to 
chop off the snout, at. the eyes, before exposing the fish 
for sale, as the hunter cuts off the head of the hare 
he has shot, before taking it. home. In the London 
fish-markets the Sea-cat-, skinned and with the head 
cut off, is often offered for sale. (Fries, Smitt.) 
