motella

[Mod. Lat., from Genevan montaile, or moutelle, prob. from Lat. mustela. ( Littré.)] Ichthy.: Rockling; a genus of Gadide. The body is elongate, covered with minute scales. Two dor sal fins, one anal, and caudal separate. A band of teeth in the jaws and on the vomer. Eight species are known, from the coasts of Europe, Iceland, Green land, Japan, the Cape of Good Hope, and New Zealand. They are of small size, and chiefly distinguished by the number of their barbels. The Five-bearded Rockling ( Motella mustela ), the Four-bearded Rockling ( M.cimbria ), and the Three bearded Rockling ( M. tricirrhata , macro pht halma , and maculata ) are British. Günther considers M. glauca, the Mackerel Midge, to be the young of M. macro pht halm at a . Yarrell makes it a separate species, and it is sometimes placed in a separate genus.