Sources : Scarus
Pliny the Elder [1st century CE] (Natural History, Book 9, 29): [Book 9, 29] Nowadays the first place is given to the wrasse [scaro], which is the only fish that is said to chew the cud and to feed on grasses and not on other fish. It is especially common in the Carpathian Sea; it never of its own accord passes Cape Lectum in the Troad. Some wrasse were imported from there in the principate of Tiberius Claudius by one of his freedmen, Optatus, Commander of the Fleet, and were distributed and scattered about between the mouth of the Tiber and the coast of Campania, care being taken for about five years that when caught they should be put back into the sea. [Book 32, 5] Wonderful too appear to me the characters of fishes given by Ovid in his book entitled Halieuticon: how the scarus, caught in a weel, does not burst out to the front, or thrust his head through the osiers that imprison him, but turns round, widens the gaps with repeated blows of his tail, and so creeps backwards. If by chance his struggles are seen by another scarus outside, he seizing the other's tail with his teeth helps the efforts to burst out. - [Rackham translation]
Claudius Aelianus [175-235 CE] (De natura animalium, 1.2, 1.4, 1.14): [1.2] The Parrot Wrasse feeds upon seaweed and wrack, and is of all fishes the most lustful, and its insatiable desire for the female is the reason why it gets caught. Now skillful anglers are aware of this, and they set upon it in this way. Whenever they capture a female, they fasten a fine line of esparto to its lip and trail the fish alive through the sea, knowing as they do where the fish lie, their haunts, and where they assemble. They prepare a heavy lead sinker round in shape and three fingers in length; a cord is passed through both ends, and it trails the captured fish after it. One of the men in the boat attaches to the side a weel with a wide mouth; the weel is then turned towards the captured Wrasse and slightly weighted with a stone of appropriate size. Whereupon the male Wrasses, like young men who have caught sight of a pretty girl, go in pursuit, mad with desire, each trying to outstrip the other and to reach her side and rub against her, just as love-sick men strive to kiss or tickle (a girl) or to play some other amorous trick. So then the man who is towing the female gently and slowly and planning to entrap (his fish), draws the lovers (as you might call them) with the loved one straight towards the weel. As soon as they come level with the weel, the angler lets the lead weight drop into it, and as it falls in it drags the female down with it by the line. And as the male Wrasses swim in with her, they are captured and pay the penalty for their erotic impulse. [1.4] Parrot Wrasses too are doughty champions of their own kin. At any rate they rush forward and make haste to bite through the line in order to rescue the one that has been caught. And many a time have they cut the line and set him free, and they ask for no reward for life-saving. Many a time however they have not contrived to do this, but have failed in spite of having done all they could with the utmost zeal. And it has even happened, they say, that, when a Parrot Wrasse has fallen into the weel and has left his tail-part projecting, the others that are swimming around uncaught have fixed their teeth in him and have dragged their comrade out. If however his head was projecting, one of those outside offered his tail, which the captive grasped and followed. This, my fellow-men, is what these creatures do: their love is not taught, it is inborn. [1.14] The Wrasse has its haunts and resorts among the rocks and near cavernous burrows. The males all have many wives and resign the hollow places, as though they were women's chambers, to their brides. This refinement in their mating, and the propensity which they enjoy for having many wives one might describe as characteristic of barbarians who luxuriate in the pleasures of the bed... So the females which are actually facing the strain of birth-pangs remain quiet in their homes, while the male, after the manner of a husband, stays about the entrance to prevent any mischief from outside, being anxious for his offspring. For it seems that he loves even those that are yet unborn, and it is his fatherly concern that causes him these early fears; he even spends the whole day without touching food: his care sustains him. - [Scholfield translation]
Saint Ambrose [4th century CE] (Hexameron, Book 5, 5.12): For that reason their [fish] teeth are closely-packed and sharp so as to be able to bite and dispatch quickly their food and swallow it easily without delay. Hence, they do not chew the cud, as the scarus is said to do, if we are to believe those who either by chance or design have come to know such matters. - [Savage translation, 1961]
Isidore of Seville [7th century CE] (Etymologies, Book 12, 6:30): The escarus is so named because it is said to be the only one to ruminate its food [esca]; for the other fish do not ruminate. People say that this is a clever fish, for when it is enclosed in a wicker trap, it does not break through with its brow or thrust its head through the opposing twigs, but, turning around, with repeated blows of its tail it widens an opening and so goes out backwards. If by chance another escarus sees its struggle from the outside, it helps its efforts to break out by seizing the tail with its teeth. - [Barney, Lewis, et. al. translation]
Thomas of Cantimpré [circa 1200-1272 CE] (Liber de natura rerum, Fish 7.83): Scaurus is a fish, the flesh of which is quite delicious to eat. This fish alone among all kinds of fish, as Ambrose says, is said to chew the cud: for it does not have sharp and fixed teeth in its mouth, as all kinds of fish have. These were first brought from foreign lands to Rome, and being thrown into the Tiber, they multiplied. Of the scauro, Isidore says, that it is so ingenious, that when it sees that it is caught in a trap, it does not endeavor to break out with its head, nor to stick its head into the wicker canes, but with frequent blows of its tail it tries to loosen the doors, and so tries to escape; if by chance another scaurus sees it struggling from the outside, it seizes its tail with its teeth and helps it in its efforts to break out. This is what the scaurus does when caught in nets; for it is trying to get out backwards. - [Badke translation/paraphrase]
Bartholomaeus Anglicus [13th century CE] (Liber de proprietatibus rerum, Book13.26): Also in lyke wise it is sayd there of a Fish which is called Estaurus: For among Fish, onelye that Fish cheweth his kudde. And it is sayd that this Fish is right wittye. For when he knoweth that hee is entered, and is within the daunger of the Fishers ginne, hée reeseth not foorth headlong, neyther putteth his head betweene the rowles of the gunne: but he beateth fast on the other with his tayle, and beginneth to make him away with breaking and renting of roddes, and so pasieth backwarde. And if it happen that another Fish of the same kinde seeth his doing, and how he travaileth for to break out: he busieth to helpe him, and taketh his tayle in his mouth, and helpeth as hée maye to drawe him out, and deliver him of the ginne. - [Batman]
