20 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



black spots. On the sides, below the lateral line, are 

 several large, dark spots, transversely situated, the last 

 of Avhich lies near the caudal tin and is generally the 

 darkest. — These markings disappear very soon after 

 death, if the fish be preserved in weak alcohol, the 

 whole body assuming an almost uniform grayish colour. 

 But the blackish spot behind the eye always remains 

 and becomes more distinct and even apparently larger 

 than in living specimens. As a rule too, but not al- 

 Avays, a slight trace remains of the dark spot l^y the 

 caudal fin. 



In BohusUVn the Gilt-head is not so common as the 

 preceding species, thougli, according to Malm, more so 

 than the Ballan Wrasse. To judge by the fact that it 

 occurs more frequently on the Danish coast, this fish, 

 as well as the Goldsinny, seems to thrive equally Avell 

 off shores where the bottom is loose and rocky coasts, 

 provided that the alga^ are not too scanty. Retzius 

 says that the Gilt-head is found off the North of Scania. 

 According to Nilsson, Kroyer, and Winther it is 

 common in tlie southern part of the Cattegat and in 

 the Sound, as far as Kjoge. Trybom" states that it is 

 caught together with the Goldsinny in the northern part 

 of Oresund, where it is used as bait, chiefly for cod- 

 fishing. Accoi'ding to Mobius and Heincke it occurs, 

 though seldom, at Kiel. Farther up the Baltic it has 



not been observed. (_)ft" Norway it goes, according to 

 CoLLETT and Storm, at least as far as the Fjord of 

 Trondhjem. It also occurs along the whole west coast 

 of Europe, oft' the shores of England and Ireland, and 

 also in the Mediterranean. No Icelandic species of 

 Lahrtis is known to us. 



The food of the Gilt-head consists of crayfish, mol- 

 lusks, etc. In its stomach Lill.jeboug has found frag- 

 ments of Carcinus mcenas, Littorina, and Mytilus. 



The spawning season, according to Kroyer, occurs 

 in July. This same author relates, as observed by him, 

 a circumstance which seems to show that a true pairing 

 occurs in this species and that during that season the 

 fish keep in pairs. He saj^s that two specimens had 

 been seen repeatedly, during an observation of some 

 length, darting out of the sea^veed by a jetty, pursuing 

 each other, then suddenly tui-ning the ventral sides 

 towards each other and remaining for a ^vhile in this 

 position. They then separated and again hid themselves 

 in the seaweed, but only to reappear again after a short 

 time and repeat these actions. A blackish papilla just 

 behind the vent, which is perforated at the point and 

 several times larger in the female than in the male, is 

 thought to have served on this occasion as the organ 

 of copulation, and a- true penetration is supposed thus 

 to have occurred. (Sundevall, Smitt.) 



Subfamily JULIDINJ]. 



To the lirief diagnosis given above (p. 4) after 

 Gunther'', ^ve may here add that the JuHclhue are by 

 no means inferior to the true wrasses in brilliancy of 

 colouring, Ijut i-ather surpass them, and are also far 

 richer in variety of form. In the Atlantic, however, 

 they are comparatively rare, though some species are 



represented in the West Indies and also occur in the 

 Mediterranean. One of these Mediterranean flshes, Coris 

 JiiUs, has also spread into the Atlantic, but is rare 

 even oft" the coasts of France and England. On two 

 occasions, however, it lias wandered into Scandinavian 

 waters. 



" Gt. Internat. Fisheries Exhib., London 1883, Special Catalogue for Sweden, p. 132. 

 ' Brit. Miis. Cat., Fish., IV, pag. 66. 



