364 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



Color, very light brown, the dorsals and anal witli a narrow dark margin. A conspicu- 

 ous large, triangular, dark blotch on the last rays of the dorsal and anal, and a dark blotch 

 occupying almost the whole of the caudal, leaving a margin of whitish arouiul it. 



In addition to the type, specimens of this species were obtained by the Albatross as 

 foUows: Cat. No. 392G9, U. S. N. M., from station 241C, in 31o 26' N. lat, 79° 7' W. Ion., at 

 a depth of 270 fathoms; from station 2370, in 29° 3' 15" N. lat., 88° 10' W. Ion., at a depth 

 of .324 fathoms; Irom station 2379, in 28° 15" N. lat., 87° 42' W. Ion., at a depth of 1,407 

 Ihthoms; fi-om station 2390, in 28° 34' N. lat., 80° 48' W. Ion., at a depth of 335 fathoms; 

 from station 2397, in 28° 42' N. lat., 86° 36' W. Ion., at a depth of 280 fathoms; from station 

 2125, in 11° 43' N. lat., 69o 9' 30" W. Ion., at a depth of 208 fathoms, and from station 

 2219, in 39° 46' 22" N. lat., 09° 29' W. Ion., at a depth of 948 fathoms. 



MOLVA, Nilsson. 



Molva, Nilsson, Skandinav. Fauna, 1832, iv, 'tTA (type, Gadiis molra L.).— Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. 

 IV, 361. — Jordan anil Gilhrrt, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 801. — \)xy, Fishes of Gre.at Britain and Ireland, 

 305. 



Gadoids having the body elongate, nearly cylindrical. Bands of cardiform teeth in jaws 

 and on vomer, the lower jaw having some large imes, as also has the vomer; the palatine 

 and tongue toothless. Two dorsal fins, both well developed, the first with 10 to 10 rays; 

 and one anal. Ventrals narrow, composed of rays. A barbel present. Scales very small. 

 Branchiostegals seven. Pseudobranchia; absent. 



MOLVA VULGARIS, Fleming. (Figure 317.) 



Gadm molm, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, 1758, 251; cd. xii, 1766, 439. 



Eucheljjopus molva, Schneider, Bloch, Syst. Ichth., 1801, 51. 



Lota molra, Bonaparte, Catalogue, No. 367. — Moreau, Hist. Nat Poiss. Franee, in, 258. 



Molva vulgaris, Fleming, British Animals, 192. — GOntiier, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., iv, 361. — Collett, Nyt 



Mag. f. Naturvid., 1884, 84.— Lill.ieborg, Sverig. och Norg. Fisk., 131.— Day, op. cit, 305. 

 OadiiK raptor, Nils.son, Prodroinus, 46. 



A Molva having a body 7 or S times as long as its own greatest height, and 5 times as 

 long as the head. Upper jaw the longer, the maxillary reaching to below the middle of the 

 orbit. Teeth carditorm in the jaws, with an inner row of rather widely separated and larger 

 ones in the mandible; in a semicircular band on the vomer, among which a few larger ones 

 are interspersed. Tiie first dorsal inserted over the latter half of the pectoral, its greatest 

 height two-fifths of that of th(^ body below it. Pectoral about half as long as the head. 

 Anal insertion in vertical over seventh or eighth ray of second dorsal. Barbel longer 

 tiian eye, the diameter of the eye l)eing about equal to the width of the interorbital space. 

 Scales small, covering the head, body, and fins. 



Eadial formula: D. 13-164-63-70. A. 57-66. 



Color, back gray, lighter on the sides and beneath; vertical fins edged with white. 

 A dark blotch at the posterior end of the first dorsal, and a more distinct one on the end 

 of the second dorsal. 



This fish, the "Ling" of Europe, is found from Spitzbergen to the Gulf of Gascony, 

 where specimens have been taken very exce]itionally at Arcachon and San Juan de Ijuz. 

 It is very rare, however, south of the British Channel, and most abundant along the coast 

 of Northern Europe and about Iceland, especially in the German Ocean and ott" Norway. 

 It is rare about Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands, and has never been found in the 

 Baltii'. It is said to have been found in the deep water ott' Newfoundland, but we have 

 been unable to find the specific record. Collett states that on tlie Norwegian coast young 

 examjdes rarely occur at less depth than 100 fathoms, and according to Lilljeborg the 

 largest are caught in from SO to 150 fathoms. 



