Lump Sucker, Cycloterus Lumpus
1803
Edward Donovan’s illustration of the Lump Sucker captures the bizarre beauty of this marine oddity with scientific precision and artistic flair. The fish sports a bulbous, blue-grey body covered in bony tubercles that look like little spikes, contrasting sharply with its vibrant reddish-orange fins. Its mouth hangs slightly open, giving it a perpetual look of surprise. This print, published around 1802, comes from Donovan’s ambitious project to document British fishes, blending scientific accuracy with the aesthetic charm of the Regency era—though modern biologists know this 'lump' actually uses a suction-cup belly to hitch rides on larger fish!