GADIDtE. 305 



Genus IV Molva, Nilsson. 

 Lota, sp. Cuvier. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchice absent. Body elongate and nearly 

 cylindrical. A barbel below the chin. A band of cardiform teeth in the jaivs and 

 on the vomer, among which are some large ones in the lower jaw and on the vomer : 

 none on the palatines or tongue. Two dorsal fins and one anal : caudal distinct. 

 Ventral with six rays. Minute scales over the body. 



Geographical distribution. Marine fishes inhabiting the temperate waters of 

 the northern hemisphere. 



1. Molva vulgaris, Plate LXXXVI. 



Clarias marina, Belon. De Aquat. p. 131. Asellus longus, Schonev. p. 18 ; 

 Willugh. p. 175, t. L 2, no. 2; Ray, p. 56; Rutty, Dublin, i, p. 356. Gadus, 

 sp. Artedi, Synon. p. 36, no. 9, Genera, p. 22, no. 9. Lange, Strom, Sondm. i, 

 p. 292. Ling, Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) iii, p. 197 (Ed. 1812) iii, p. 262 ; 

 Low, Fauna Oread, p. 198. Lingue, Duhamel, Peches, ii, sect. 1, cap. 8, p. 145, 

 pi. xxv, f. 1. 



Gadus molva, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 439 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1170 ; Shaw, Zool. iv, 

 p. 151, pi. xxiii ; Bonn. Atl. Ich. p. 49, pi. xxx, f . 108 ; Fabr. Faun. Greenland, 

 p. 148; Bloch, Fische Deuts. ii, p. 174, t. lxix; Lacep. ii, p. 432; Donovan, 

 Brit. Fish, iv, pi. cii ; Turton, Brit. Fauna, p. 91 ; Nilss. Prod. p. 45 ; ? Faber, 

 Fische Isl. p. 86. 



Enchelyopus molva, Bl. Schn. p. 51. 



Gadus raptor, Nilss. Prod. p. 46. 



Lota molva, Jenyns, Man. p. 448 ; Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (Ed. i) ii, p. 180, c. fig . 

 (Ed. 2) ii, p. 264 (Ed. 3) i, p. 569; Parnell, Wern. Mem. vii, p. 352, and Fish. 

 Firth of Forth, p. 192 ; Templeton, Mag. Nat. Hist. 1837 (2) i, p. 411 ; Swainson, 

 Fishes, ii, p. 300 ; Johnston, Berwick. Nat. Hist. Club, 1838, p. 173 ; White, 

 Catal. p. 92 ; Schlegel, Dieren Neder. p. 84 ; Mcintosh, Fish. N. Uist, P. R. Soc. 

 Edin. v, 1862-66, p. 614 ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 185 ; Moreau, 

 Poiss. France, iii, p. 258. 



Molva vulgaris, Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 192 ; Nilss. Skand. Fauna, iv, p. 573 ; 

 Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 361 ; Malm, Wiegm. Arch. 1864, p. 297 ; Mcintosh, Fish. 

 St. Andrew's, p. 178 ; Collett, Norges Fiske, p. 115; Winther, Ich. Dan. Mar. 

 p. 32. 



Ling, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, iii, p. 89, pi. cxlv. 



B. vii, D. 13-16/63-70, P. 19, V. 6, A. 57-66, C. 35-38, Coec. pyl. 32, Vert. 



27/37. 



Length of head 5, of caudal fin about 11, height of body 7 to 8 in the total 

 length. Eyes diameter 5 to 7 times in the length of the head, 1| to 2 

 diameters from the end of the snout, and 1 to lj apart. The width of the 

 head equals 2/5 of its length. The maxilla reaches to beneath the middle of 

 the eye : upper jaw the longer. The mandibular barbel extends to beneath 

 the centre of the orbit. Anterior nasal valve pi-olonged into a short barbel. 

 Teeth cardiform in the jaws, with an inner row of rather widely separated and 

 larger ones in the mandibles : in a semicircular band on the vomer, among 

 which a few larger ones are interspersed ; none on the palatines or tongue. 

 Fins the first dorsal commences above the last half of the pectoral, its highest 

 rays equalling about 2/5 of the depth of the body below it, while scarcely any 

 interspace exists between its base and that of the second dorsal, which terminates 

 close to the root of the caudal fin. Pectoral about half as lona* as the head. 

 Ventral jugular. Anal commences beneath the seventh or eighth ray of the 

 second dorsal and ends close to the base of the caudal fin, which last is 

 rounded and distinct. Scales very small, covering the head, body, and fins. 

 Lateral-line^-at first slightly descends, becoming straight beneath the commence- 



20 



