14-5 
THE LUMP. 
Genus XI. — T 'he Sucker. 
‘ the Lump *. 
This tribe contains only three fpecies, all remarkable 
for the Angular deformity of their Ihape. The body is 
deep and thick ; the back arched, and the belly diftin- 
guilhed by an oval aperture, farrounded with a flelhy and 
mufcular fubftance,and edged with fmall thready appenda- 
ges, which operate as fo many clafpers. It is by means of 
this appartus that thefe animals adhere with fuch va(t force 
to any fubftance to which they apply themfelves. The 
tenacity, with which the fucker adheres to the bottom* 
has been tried by putting it into a pail of wafer, where 
it fixed itfelf fo firmly, that on taking the fifii by the 
tail, the whole veflel, with its contents, were lifted from 
the ground, although it held fome gallons f . 
The lump fucker, which is the larged of this genus* 
increafes to the weight of feven pounds, and the length 
of nine inches. The back is arched and lharp, of a black' 
ifti colour, dilated and variegated with brown. The bel' 
ly is flat and reddiih : it wants fins, but the whole body 
is defended with lharp black tubercles. On each fi^ e 
there are three rows of large bony feales, and on tb e 
* Lumpus Anglorum, Will. 
f_Britifb Zoology. 
