Page:VCH Cornwall 1.djvu/347

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FISHES young specimen only 6$ inches long was taken by Mr. Holt in July 1897 at the mouth of the Lynher or St. Germans river in the Hamoaze. 9. Bogue. Box vulgarh, Cuv. & Val. The first specimen in British waters was obtained at Falmouth in 1843 in a seine. Several others have been obtained at the same place. In March 1873 a specimen 12 inches long was taken in Helford river. 10. Common Sea Bream. Pagellus centro- dontus, De la Roche. Common all round the coast. The young are called chad, though these are often sup- posed to be of a distinct species. Chad take a bait very freely in summer and autumn. Large bream are often abundant at the Run- nelstone Buoy near the Land's End. 11. Spanish Bream. Pagellus bogaraveo, Brunn. Not very rare, but only single specimens are taken, usually with hook and line. 12. Axillary Bream. Pagellus owenii, Gttn- ther. Has been recorded from Cornwall. 13. Pagellus acarne, Cuv. & Val. A specimen in the British Museum from Cornwall ; it was in Leach's collection. 1 4. Pandora Sea Bream. Pagellus erythrinus, Linn. Common. Day states that the young were abundant at Mevagissey in August 1880. 15. Couch's Sea Bream. Pagrus orphus, Risso. According to Day the only undoubted British specimen was one obtained by Couch about two miles south of Polperro, and de- scribed by him as a new species. The specimen was 2O inches long and 6 Ib. in weight. 1 6. Gilt-Head. Pagrus auratus, Linn. Another rare visitor. Mr. Cocks obtained two in the Falmouth market in 1846. In 1870 Mr. Cornish recorded one i8 inches long, taken at Penzance in a mullet net (Zoo/.) 17. Red Mullet. Mullus barbatus, Linn.; var. surmuletus, Linn. Common, but not very abundant. In March they are found some miles out at sea, and are taken by the trawlers. After June they come close in shore and are taken in ground seines ; they are also caught with trammels and set-nets. In Helford river the owners of yachts catch them in considerable numbers with trammels. The plain mullet, M. barbatus, is the Mediterranean form, the striped mullet the form found in the Atlantic and off the south coast of England. It is doubtful whether the plain form has ever been taken in Cornwall. 1 8. Ballan Wrasse. Labrus maculatus, Linn. Very common on rocky shores among sea- weed. It is very variable in colour, the commonest coloration being brown or greenish with a bright blue or white spot on every scale. Specimens taken in Zostera may be of a uniform green ; the L. lineatus of Dono- van is a variety of a green colour with yellow streaks. The var. L. comber, Gmel., has dark transverse bars dorsally, and a white band along the side. But Mr. Holt has shown that the same individual can change its colour in a short time. 19. Cook or Cuckoo Wrasse. Labrus mixtus, Linn. Fairly common, but usually in deeper water than the ballan wrasse. The colours of the male are very brilliant, red with blue stripes. The female is yellow, with three black spots on the hinder part of the back. 20. Conner. Crenilabrus me/ops, Linn. Very common. 21. Jago's Goldsinny. Ctenolabrus rupestris, Linn. Common. Mevagissey, Mount's Bay and elsewhere. 22. Scale-rayed Wrasse. Acantholabrus pal- loni, Risso. Two specimens recorded by J. Couch ; one taken in 1830 at Deadman Point in up- wards of 50 fathoms of water ; the other was 10 inches long. 23. Rock Cook. Centrolabrus exoletus, Linn. Not uncommon. 24. Rainbow Wrasse. Carts julis, Linn. A Mediterranean species of which the female is dull coloured, and has been de- scribed as a separate species under the name C. glofredi. A male, a little over 7 inches in length, was taken in Mount's Bay in 1802, and came into the possession of Donovan.

  • 2$. Miller's Thumb. Coitus gobio, Linn.

Common in rivers. 295