WRASSES. 



i; 



Tlie l:iter;il line runs niucli nearer the l)ack tlian 

 the bell) and contains from iiQ to 38 scales, wliich are 

 smaller tlian those of the nearest rows and Iwive the 

 hind margin notched ()l)li(|uely upwards so lliat the lower 

 corner is longer than the upper. Above the lateral line 

 thei'e are three rows of oi'dinarj' scales, four rows in :dl, 

 including the row of smaller scales at the base of the fin. 

 Below the lateral line from 10 to 12 rows. 



In the dorsal fin there are 17 hard and [tungent 

 rays and 9 soft and articulated, or 18 hard and 8 soft, 

 the last ray being split to tlie base. As a rule, tlie 

 first two soft ra)'s are, on the contrary, undivided. The 

 anal fin, the ])osterior corner of which is somewhat 

 pointed, has the membrane incised and a. flap be- 

 hind each spinous ray, as usual: it consists of 3 hard 

 rays and 8 or sometimes 7 ;irticulated soft rays, all 

 except i\\e first branched at the tij). Tlie pectoral fins 

 are very thin and transj)arent. They are made up of 

 14 rays, the first being short and hard, the second 

 simple and the others branched at the tip. The caudal 

 fin has the corners rounded and the hind margin also 

 slightl)- rounded: it consists of 13 true rays, the highest 

 and lowest of Avhich are simple at the jwint and shorter 

 than the others which are split. At the base of the 

 fin there are the usual rows of scales between the rays. 



In l)rilliancy of colouring the Goldsinny is far in- 

 ferior to its kindred species, but still not without beaut}\ 

 The ujiper part of the body is of an almost unvaried 

 brown, the sides greenish with marks or spots at the 

 base of each scale forming broken, longitudinal bands. 

 On the sides of the l)elly, in the third or fourth row 

 of scales below the lateral line, these spots become rusty 

 yellow. The belly is bluish white without spots. A 

 dark broA\n Ijand, interrupted by the lower margin of 

 the iris, runs from the upper lip to the margin of the 

 preoperculum. This l)and is coasted above by another 

 of pale green, which stoyjs at the anterior orbital margin. 

 The iris is of a dark reddish brown, ^vith a ring of 

 lighter colour at both tlie inner and the outer margin, 

 and a bright green spot in the superior part. 



Most characteristic of this species, hoAvever, is the 

 uniform colnur of the fins, which are without any 

 spots or bands, if we except tlie anterior part of the 

 dorsal, Avhere the fin membrane between the first four 

 or five rays is of a deep black half-A\-ay up, and from 



the fourth to the seventh has some bluish green streaks 

 at the l)ase. The Goldsinny is also sufficiently easy to 

 recognize in most cases by the rtjund black spot at the 

 superior margin of the base of the caudal fin, which is 

 always present except in the youngest specimens (up to 

 a length of about 40 mm."). The latter have instead 

 a brown spot at the to]) and l)ottom of the base of 

 the caudal fin. 



From tlie remarks already made with regard to 

 the variations of colouring in fishes we may conjecture, 

 and rightly too, that the Goldsinnj' does not always 

 correspond to the description given above. The spe- 

 cimen represented in the figure is one of the finest in 

 colouring we have ever met with. As a rule the colo- 

 ration is duller and fainter, and the shades of colour 

 are more numerous. However, as this sjiecies is un- 

 mistakably distinct from the otliers, we should be un- 

 necessarily diffuse, were Ave to give a more detailed 

 description of these variations, especially as none of 

 them is remarkable or preponderant. Before leaving 

 this point, ho\\'ever, we must point out a remarkable 

 change of colour which the Goldsinny can effect in a 

 moment. When the fish is at liberty, it has 14 dark 

 spots on the sides, obliquely crossing the lateral line 

 so that there are 7 above and 7 below. These spots 

 disappear instantl}' when the fish is touched and do not 

 re-appear until it has been let alone for some time. 

 Many other proofs have been given of the power which 

 fishes possess to change their colour at A\ill; but a more 

 striking example than this, which was discovered by 

 Fries fifty years ago, can scarcely be adduced even 

 at the present time. 



In its internal structure the Goldsinny most closely 

 resembles the Ballan Wrasse. 



Of all the European Avrasses the Goldsinn}- is the 

 most common and most widely spread sjjecies. It is 

 found from the coast of Pomerania in the Baltic '' along 

 Denmark and up the -west coast of Scandinavia as far 

 as Trondhjem ■" at least. To the south it occurs off the 

 whole Avest coast of Europe and in the Mediterranean, 

 in the inner part of Avhich it is said to be less common. 

 In Bohuslan during the summer it staAS close to jetties 

 and steep rocky shores Avhere the Avater is only a fathom 

 or so deep. At such spots it may be seen in small 

 bodies seeking its food a little Avay fi-ora the bottom 



" Vid. Malm. 1. c. 



* Cf. MObius and Heincke, Fische der O.Hsee, p. 72. 



' Cf. CoLLETT, 1. c. and Storm, Norsk. Vid. Selsk. Skr. Trondhj. 1883, y. 28. 



Scandinavian Fighes. 



