A HISTORY OF ESSEX HAPLOMI
- 80. Pike. Esox lucius, Linn.
This fish is found in all parts of the county, both in rivers and ponds, but never appears to attain the size sometimes found in those counties where more extensive tracts of water are found. The largest one of which we have any record was taken at Dagenham on November 22, 1896. It weighed 30 Ib. (Badminton Mag. 1897, p. 628). OSTARIOPHYSI
- 8 1 . Carp. Cyprinus carpio, Linn.
Occurs in many of the sluggish streams and also in numerous ponds.
- 8a. Crucian or Prussian Carp. Cyprinus
carassius, Linn. Has been introduced into many of our ponds, but it does not appear to occur in any of our rivers excepting the Lea, where one was caught by Mr. Williams near Tot- tenham (Land and Water, November, 1887, p. 412). Day says (Fishes of Great Britain, ii. 1 66) it is very common about London.
- 83. Goldfish. Cyprinus auratus, Linn.
Does not occur in any of our rivers. It is however naturalized in ponds throughout the county.
- 84. Barbel. Barbus vulgaris, Flem.
This is probably another introduced species as far as Essex is concerned. According to Day (Fishes of Great Britain, ii. 171) and Yarrell (British Fishes, i. 322) it occurs in the Lea.
- 85. Gudgeon. Gobio fluviatilh, Flem.
A fish that occurs in numbers in all our rivers, but is mostly local. It abounds in the Lea and Stort.
- 86. Roach. Leuciscus rutilus, Linn.
Found everywhere in streams and ponds. Rudd. Leuciscus erythrophthalmus, Linn. Considerable numbers of this fish occur in the Suffolk Stour. It is rare in the Colne and common in the Lea. Mr. Pennell found (Day's Fishes of Great Britain, ii. 1 84) a lemon or yellow-coloured variety in some ponds near Romford. Another variety called a blue roach occurs in the small stream entering the sea near Clacton. It is described in Land and Water, 1876, p. 153.
- 88. Dace. Leuciscus dobula, Linn.
A fish found in the Chelmer, the Stour, and according to Lieutenant Croft (Trans. Herts Nat. Hist. Sac. ii. 13) in the Lea. It occurs probably in other streams also.
- 89. Chubb. Leuciscus cephalus, Linn.
Until quite recently this was another in- habitant of the Lea only among Essex rivers. Now it must be added to the list of Black- water fish, as the Witham Angling Society has turned into that river 350 specimens (Field, Feb. 29, 1896, p. 320).
- 9O. Minnow. Leuciscus phoxinus, Linn.
Frequent in most of the rivers of Essex.
- 9i. Tench. Tinea vulgaris, Cuv.
Is an inhabitant of many ponds in all parts of the county, and occurs also in the Stour, Colne, Lea and probably in all the other rivers.
- 92. Lake Bream. Abramis brama, Linn.
This is found in considerable numbers in the Essex and Suffolk Stour and in some other Essex rivers. The variety called Pomeranian bream is found, according to Day (Fishes of Great Britain, ii. 195), on the authority of Yarrell, in Dagenham Breach, where it is still plentiful (Land and Water, Aug. 4, 1888, P- 134)-
- 93> White Bream. Abramis blicca, Bloch.
It occurs in the Essex and Suffolk Stour, also in the Lea (Trans. Herts Nat. Hist. Soc. ii. 12), but not so commonly as the last species.
- 94. Bleak. Alburnus lucidus, Heckel.
Day says (Fishes of Great Britain, ii. 200) this is found in the Lea, but does not appear to be known in any other Essex river.
- 95. Loach. Nemachilus barbatulus, Linn.
Found in all our smaller streams where there is a gravelly bottom. A specimen of the continental sheat-fish (Silurus glanis, Linn.) was captured in the Stour and recorded (Field, Sept. 8, 1894, p. 411), and a full account was therein given of the attempts made to acclimatize this species in English waters, fortunately I think without success. But as it has been taken in Essex waters many years after the attempts referred to, allusion to it may be made in this list. 226
