31 



Praeoperculum har 2 Tome, den nederste kort, uedad- 

 rettet, og Udel fremtrædende; den øverste lang og krog- 

 formigt bøjet indad, overordentlig spids og stærk, samt fra 

 oven og neden noget sammentrykt; med sin Spidse naar 

 den ikke tilbage til den øvre Flig af Operculum. 1 fuld- 

 konnnen uskadt !>t:nul ev denne kloformige Torn lige ud 

 til Spidseu beklædt med Hud. der ganske udfylder dens 

 indre concave Del. Ved Granden af den store Torn tindes 

 paa Forsiden en mindre, der dog hos uskadte Individer 

 neppe lader sig iagttage, uden ved Følelsen. Operculum 

 har en enkelt Torn nedentil, men ender oventil i en blod 

 og afrundet Flag, nedenfor hvilken der skjuler sig en lav, 

 men skarp Tom. Mellem det forreste og hagre ParNæse- 

 bor tindes et Par korte opstaaende Torne, og paa Bag- 

 hovedet et Par lignende, der ere bagudrettede, men som 

 alle ere. ligesom de øvrige Tome, lidet ' fremtrædende af 

 Huden. 



Sidelinie, Porer og Hmltraade. En Række af 5 — 6 

 Porer strækker sig fra det forreste Par Næsebor paa hver 

 Side bagover under Øjet, og standser omtrent ved Bag- 

 kanten af Orbita. Lignende Rækker strække sig paa 

 Undersiden af Underkjæven. 



Sidelinien er hos de yngre Ind. dannet af store og aabent- 

 staaende Porer, hvis Antal sjelden overstiger 18, skjønt det 

 ikke altid er det samme paa begge Sider. Hos de ældre Ind. 

 ere Porerne mindre, men deres oprindelige Oinkreds kan 

 endnu sees som afbrudte, lidt ophøjede Ringe. Hos Yngel 

 med en Totall. af under 12'"'" er Sidelinien endnu usynlig, 

 men allerede, hvor Legemet har naaet en Længde af 

 15""". ere omtrent 5 — 6 Porer fremkomne paa Legemets 

 forreste Del. 



Af Hudtraade paa Hovedet tindes en yderst 

 kort paa Bagranden af Overkjæven, umiddelbart foran 

 Mundvinkelen, altsaa paa samme Punkt, hvor en lignende 

 er tilstede bos Cottus bubalis og C. UUjéborgii. Hos alle 

 uskadte Individer fmdes endvidere en enkelt Traad ved den 

 ovre Baud af Orbita, der ikke (som hos leelus hamatus) er 

 haandformig fladtrykt, men tilspidset; denne gaar let tabt 

 ved Berøring. 



Finnerne. Straaleantallet synes idetbele at være en 

 forboldsvis ringe Variation underkastet, sammenlignet med, 

 bvad der tinder Sted hos leelus hamatus og flere andre 

 Cottoider. 



Iste Dorsal har 7 eller 8 Straaler. der begynde umid- 

 delbart over Pectoralernes øvre Fæste, og ende noget bagen- 

 for Anus. Den har ingen betydelig Højde. idet denne 

 sjeldent overstiger Hovedets halve Længde. 



2den Dorsal har 13 Straaler, hos enkelte Individer 

 12 eller 14, og begynder uden Interdorsalrum bag Iste 

 Dorsal; den har noget større Højde, end denne, og naar 

 med Spidsen af sine længste Straaler i omtr. en halv Orbital- 

 diameters Afstand fra Roden af Caudalen. eller undertiden 

 kortere. 



Two spines on preoperculum, the lower short, inclin- 

 ing downwards, and but slightly developed; the upper 

 long, hooked, remarkably sharp and powerful, above and 

 below slightly depressed; the point does not reach back to 



the upper edge ol' the operculum. Specimens in perfect 

 preservation have this Strong hooked spine protected to 

 the apes by the integument, which fills up and con- 

 ceals the inner groove. At the base ol' the large 

 Spine, on the anterior side, occurs a smaller one. which, 

 however, in well-preserved examples can hardly be observed, 

 save by the touch. Operculum furnished below with 

 a single spine; above, it terminates in a soft, convex flap, 

 concealing beneath a depressed, but sharp-pointed spine. 

 Between the anterior and posterior pairs of nostrils occur 

 two short spines, and. on the occiput, two others, all of 

 which, however, in common with the other spines, are 

 directed backwards, and project but slightly above the 

 integument. 



Lateral Line, Mucous Pores, and ( 'irri. — A row of 5 or 

 6 pores extends from the anterior nostrils, on each side, 

 backwards under the eye, terminating in close proximity 

 to the posterior edge of the orbita. Similar series occur 

 on the under surface of the lower jaw. 



In young examples, the lateral line is composed of 

 large and open pores, seldom exceeding 18, which, however. 

 are not always equal in number on both sides. In more 

 mature individuals the pores are smaller; their original 

 circumference being, however, distinctly obvious, as dis- 

 rupted and slightly protuberant rings. In fry-speci- 

 mens (having a total length of less than 12'"'"), the 

 lateral line cannot yet he distinguished, but so soon as 

 the body has attained a length of 15""", 5 or 6 pores are 

 obvious in the anterior region. 



The head is furnished with one cirrus, exceed- 

 ingly short, on the posterior margin of the upper jaw, im- 

 mediately in front of the angle of the mouth, in the exact 

 spot where a similar cirrus occurs in Cottus bubalis and C. 

 UUjéborgii. In perfect specimens a cin-us is also observed 

 on the superior margin of the orbits, tapering to a point 

 (not thin and riband-shaped as in Icelus hamatus);' being 

 very slenderly attached to the skin, great care must be 

 taken to preserve it uninjured. 



Fins. — In C. uncinatus the number of fin-rays is 

 apparently subjected to but slight variation as compared 

 with this feature in leelus hamatus and divers other species 

 of Cottoids. 



The first dorsal, furnished with 7 or 8 rays, com- 

 mences immediately above the upper extremity of the hase 

 of the pectorals, and terminates at a short distance behind 

 the anus; its height is not considerable, rarely exceeding 

 half the length of the head. 



The 2nd dorsal has 13. in some individuals 12 or 14 

 rays; it is contiguous to the 1st dorsal, exceeding it how- 

 ever somewhat in height, the tip of the longest rays ex- 

 tending to a distance of about half the diameter of the 

 orbit from the base of the caudal, sometimes not quite 

 so far. 



