Page:VCH Essex 1.djvu/261

FISHES fine specimen 8 feet 8$ inches long, of which he made a cast, was caught at Leigh near Southend in November, 1866 (see also Field, November 3, 1896, p. 362). 29. Greater Weever. Trachinus draco, Linn. A fish which is caught occasionally in eel trawls on the muddy Zostera covered shores. Mr. E. A. Fitch records (Essex Nat. iii. 188) the capture of one in the Blackwater by hook. 30. Common Weever, Viper Weever. 7ra- cbinus vipera, Cuv. This is also taken in the eel trawls in the same situations as the last, but much more commonly. 31. Dragonet or Dusky Skulpin. Callionymus lyra, Linn. The shrimp trawlers very often capture this species in their shrimp nets on our sandy shores, a locality just suited to its habits. Day's figure (Fishes of Great Britain, pi. liv.) was taken from a fish captured at Southend, where the reddish specimens are called ' foxes.' 32. Angler. Lophius piscatorius, Linn. Locally, Toad-fish. This ungainly fish has been frequently captured on the Essex coast, but it is not often brought on shore by the fishermen. 33. Wolf-fish. Anarrhichas lupus, Linn. This fish has been captured at Walton-on- Naze (Essex Standard, August 29, 1885). Common as it is on many parts of the English seaboard it appears only as a straggler off Essex ; the sandy shallow shores do not suit its habits. 34. Gattorugine. Bltnnius gattorugine, Bloch. Mr. E. A. Fitch records in Zoologist, iii. 326, ser. 4 the capture of one at Stansgate in the Blackwater on August 19, 1898. 35. Butterfish. Centronotus gunnellus, Linn. This is another fish frequently caught in eel trawls. I find it very commonly on the Zostera covered ooze at Mersea. Yarrell (Brit. Fishes, i. 240) says it is found in the mouth of the Thames. 36. Viviparous Blenny. Zoarces viviparus, Linn. Not a rare fish. It is taken occasionally among sprats by the stow-boat fishermen, also by eel trawlers. ANACANTHINI 37. Cod. Gadus morrhua, Linn. The value of this fish as food is well known, but most of those of large size captured it the Essex estuaries are not in a fit condition for the table, being more or less diseased. Many young ones called ' codling ' are how- ever captured in the finest condition all round the coasts by hooks or nets. 38. Large-headed Cod. Gadus macrocephalus, Tiles. Dr. Day (Journ. Linn. Sec. vol. xiv. No. 80, p. 689) describes a specimen caught in the mouth of the Thames at Southend. (This is also recorded in Zoologist, 1880, p. 26.) Yar- rell saw a large one from the mouth of the Thames, but he considered the abnormal size to be due to disease. The local fishermen call this variety 'Lord- fish ' (see Day's Fishes of Great Britain, i. 278). 39. Haddock. Gadus #gle/inus, Linn. I have occasionally taken this species in some numbers in the Crouch, but I do not think it is a very common fish on the Essex coast. A large number were observed and taken off Purfleet by the officers of the training ship Cornwall in 1879 (Land and Water, March i, 1879, p. 179). They have also been noted in Dagenham Breach (ibid. March 22, 1879, p. 236) by Mr. P. Hood, who communicated his surprise at finding them in freshwater to F. Buckland. The latter's explanation that the water of Dagenham Breach was brackish probably ac- counted for their presence. 40. Bib, Whiting Pout. Gadus luscus, Linn. Locally, Wule or Whiting Wule. This is extremely common during the early winter months, large numbers being caught by all those who fish either from piers or from boats with hooks. 41. Power or Poor Cod. Gadus minutus, Linn. Mr. E. A. Fitch informs me it is not alto- gether rare at times in the Thames estuary. 42. Whiting. Gadus merlangus, Linn. In some seasons very abundant ; it arrives in our estuaries about the middle or end of September, and is a great favourite with those who practise the form of fishing which is locally called 'spruling.' 43. Pollack, or Whiting Pollack. Gadus pollachius, Linn. Dale says (Hist, of Harwich, 1732, p. 428) that in his time the whiting pollack was sometimes caught and brought to Braintree market with the other varieties of whiting. 223