Within the last five years identification[952] of Mesopotamian fish has been carried further by Dr. Harri Holma of Helsingfors,[953] and by Professor Langdon.[954]
From the latter I take the following list:—
“1. The buradu, of the skate and ray type. This flat fish is the most common of all species in Southern Babylonia from the earliest historical period. The Sumerians knew it as the _suḥuru_ fish, and speak of it as ‘bearded,’ referring to a kind of skate fish with long hairs about the mouth. They mention also the ‘goat-skate,’ and the ‘lower lipped skate.’ Dr. Holma’s statement (p. 96) that the _suḥuru_ cannot be the skate, turbot, or plaice, because these have no beards, has been contraverted, since fish of the skate type often have long feelers at the mouth resembling a beard.
“2. The kuppû, said to be the rhombus maximus.
“3. The šênu, in Greek σάνδαλον, in Latin solea, in English ‘sole.’ S̆ênu means ‘sandal’ in Babylonian.
“4. Sêlibu, or ‘fox fish,’ perhaps so-called from its slyness; probably Alopecias vulpes.
“5. The kalbu, ‘dog-fish,’ said to be the Greek καρχαρίας κύων.
“6. The piazu, ‘pig-fish,’ Galeus canis, ‘sea sow,’
“7. The puḥadu, ‘lamb fish,’ perhaps Pelecus cultratus.
“8. The balgu, a fish well known in all periods, and said to be the same as the widely spread Mongolian balyq, the ordinary word for fish in Turkish; in some parts the sword fish, in others the ‘bull head.’