94 THE MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND FISHES OF ESSEX.
Family GOBIIDAE, Cuv.
Gentis Gobius, Artedi.
Gobius ruthensparri, Retz. Two-spotted Goby.
This little fish is common on the shores of the Wallet,
where it flourishes on the hard, almost rock-like, London clay.
It is frequently caught and boiled with shrimps.
Gobius minutus, Donovan. Yellow Goby, One-spotted Goby,
and Tail-spotted Goby (young).
Common. Day (Fishes of Great Britain, vol. i., p. 166)
calls it numerous at the mouth of the Thames, and says that
it is commonly found amongst the Whitebait brought to the
London market. Yarrell says (British Fishes, vol. i., p. 260)
it is apparently a new species from Colchester.
Genus Aphia, Risso.
Aphia pellucida, Moreau. Slender, or Transparent, Goby.
Possibly this may be common on the Essex coast; but,
as the shrimpers throw away all the small unsaleable fish they
catch, the opportunities for seeing it are few. The only
examples coming under my observation were captured in the
Wallet, by the fisherman employed at the Biological Station
at Brightlingsea.
Family CALLIONYMIDAE, Richardson.
Genus CALLIONYMUS, Linn.
Callionymus lyra, Linn. Dusky Skulpin. Locally, Fox
or Dragonet.
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, pl. liv.)
was taken (Op. cit., vol. i., p. 177) from one captured at
Southend, where the reddish specimens are called " Foxes "