Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

GURNARD (Trigla)

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 732 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

See also:

GURNARD (Trigla) , a genus of fishes forming a See also:group of the See also:family of " mailed cheeks " (Triglidae), and easily recognized by three detached See also:finger-like appendages in front of the See also:pectoral fins, and by their large, angular, bony See also:head, the sides of which are protected by strong, hard and rough bones. The pectoral appendages are provided with strong nerves, and serve not only as See also:organs of locomotion when the See also:fish moves on the bottom, but also as organs of See also:touch, by which it detects small animals on which it feeds. Gurnards are See also:coast-fishes, generally distributed over the tropical and temperate areas; of the See also:forty See also:species known six occur on the coast of See also:Great See also:Britain, viz. the red Trigla pleuracanihica. gurnard (T. pini), the streaked gurnard (T. lineata), the sapphirine gurnard (T. hirundo), the See also:grey gurnard (T. gurnardus), the See also:piper (T. See also:lyra) and the See also:long-finned gurnard (T. obscura or T. lucerna). Although never found very far from the coast, gurnards descend to depths of several See also:hundred fathoms; and as they are bottom-fish they are caught chiefly by means of the trawl. Not rarely, however, they may be seen floating on the See also:surface of the See also:water, with their broad, finely coloured pectoral fins spread out like fans. In very See also:young fishes, which abound in certain localities on the coast in the months of See also:August and See also:September, the pectorals are comparatively much longer than in the adult, extending to the end of the See also:body; they are beautifully coloured and kept See also:expanded, the little fishes looking like butterflies. When caught and taken out of the water, gurnards emit a grunting See also:noise, which is produced by the vibrations of a See also:diaphragm situated transversely across the cavity of the See also:bladder and perforated in the centre. This grunting noise gave rise to the name " gurnard," which is probably an See also:adaptation or variation of the Fr. grognard, grumbler, cf. the Fr. grondin, gurnard, from gronder, and Ger. Knurrfisch. Their flesh is very See also:white, See also:firm and whole-some.

End of Article: GURNARD (Trigla)

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
GURNALL, WILLIAM (1617—1699) 		[next]
GURNEY

Site © 2006 - Net Industries