History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

194 FISHES. MALACOPTERYGIOUS. Raniceps.Gen. XLII. RANICEPS. — The first dorsal fin obscure.Head depressed and very broad. Mouth wide, with regularincurvated teeth.Rays of the ventrals produced.88. R. trif'urcatus. Lateral line tuberculated above the pectoralfins.Trifurcated Hake, Davies, Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 196, and edition 1812,iii. 272 South coast of England.Length about 12 inches. Colour deep brown, the lips white. Eyes large,irides yellow. Body compressed, especially towards the tail. The first dorsalfin consists of three slender minute rays placed in a furrow. 2d D. 62,P. 23, V. 6. (the three last short), A. 59, C 36. Tubercles 9 or 10 on each side,from the last of which the lateral line commences, is curved in the middle,and then straight to the tail ; caudal and pectoral fins rounded. Mr Donovon,in the preface to his work on British Fishes, declares that Pennant was misledwhen he instituted the trifurcated hake as a distinct species, as the descriptionwas taken from a damaged skin of the forked hake ; and he adducesthe authority of the Rev. Hugh Davies in support of his opinion. In the lastedition of the British Zoology, the trifurcated hake is continued as a distinctspecies, and several additional facts illustrative of its history given, likewiseon the authority of the Rev. Hugh Davies We cannot unravel such !mysteriouscontradictions.89. R. Jago. Lateral line smooth.Barbus minus, Jago, Ray, Syn. Pise. 164. Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 195—Couch, Linn. Trans, xiv. 75—Coast of Cornwall.This species was first noticed by the Rev. Mr Jago, whose name we haveadopted as its trivial appellation. It has since been observed by Mr Couch,who has given the following description of peculiarities:— its " Length 10inches. Head wide and flat.Eyes forward and prominent. Under jawshortest. Teeth in the jaws and palate, sharp and incurved, and some in thethroat. Small barb at the under jaw. Body compressed, smooth. First dorsalfin triangular, and extremely small ; second dorsal fin and the anal finlong, ending in a point ; tail round ; ventral fins have several rays, of whichthe two outmost are much elongated, the longest measuring two inches ; thefins all covered with the common skin. A furrow passes above the eyes tothe back. Stomach firm, with longitudinal folds ;no appendix to the intestines.Air-bladder large, and of unusual form. In the intestines were theremains of an echinus."Gen. XLIII. BROSMUS. Tusk.—The small dorsal andanal fins lengthened ;ventrals fleshy, with five rays.90. B. vulgaris.Common Tusk.— Fins edged with white ;tail and pectorals rounded.Brismack, Lump, Tusk, Sibb. Desc. Orkney and Zetland, p.8.— Torsk,Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 203. Low, Ork. 200.— Gadus Brosme, Don. Brit.—Fishes, On t. 70. the sea-banks, especially off the coast of Zetland.Length about 2 feet. Above dusky sides ; yellowish ; belly white. Lateralline a little incurvated. Body compressed behind the vent. A furrow onthe neck. D. 49, P. 21, V. 5, A. 37, C. 35—This fish is caught along with lingand cod. When salted it is deservedly esteemed. Pennant originally confoundedthis species with the torsk or dorse, Morhua callarias.