CLASS PISCES.
109
Day says (Fishes of Great Britain, vol. ii., p. 166) it is very
common about London.
Carassius auratus. Blocker. Gold Fish.
This is another fish which does not occur in our rivers.
It is, however, naturalised in ponds throughout the county.
Genus BARBUS, Cuv.
Barbus vulgaris. Fleming. Barbel.
This is probably another introduced species, as far as
Essex is concerned. It occurs in the lake known as Dagenham
Breach, and also, according to Day (Fishes of Great Britain,
vol. ii., p. 171) and Yarrell (British Fishes, vol. i., p. 322), in
the Lea. From that partially-Essex river, Barbel of nine
and ten pounds weight are reported (Field, Jan. 5th, 1884,
p. 18; Land and Water, Aug. 13th, 1887, p. 92).
Genus Gobio, Cuv.
Gobio fluviatilis, Flem. Gudgeon.
A fish that occurs in numbers in all our rivers, but is
mostly local. It abounds in the Lea, and is known in the
Stort.
Genus LEUCISCUS, Cuv.
Leuciscus rutilus, Fleming. Roach.
Found everywhere throughout the county, in streams and
ponds.
Leuciscus cephalus, Fleming. Chubb.
Until quite lately, this was another inhabitant of the Lea
only among Essex rivers. Now it must be added to the list
of Blackwater fish, as the Witham Angling Society has
turned into that river 350 specimens (Field, Feb. 29th, 1896,
p. 320). Lieut. Croft mentions it (Trans. Herts. Nat. Hist.
Soc., vol. ii., p. 13) in his list of fishes of the Lea, and it is
frequently taken at Waltham.