38 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHKS. 



ill proportion to the length of the body" is about the 

 same as in the Perch, from 26 to 28 p. c; but the 

 dejjth of the body at the insertion of the ventral fins 

 is only equal to the distance from the tip of the snout 

 to the hind margin of the jjreoperculum. The mouth is 

 fairlv large and almost horizontal; the bones of the upper 

 jaw extend l)ackwards to a point almost exactly above 

 the posterior margin of the eye. The snout projects 

 oidy sliglitly beyond the lower jaw, at the jjoint of which 

 there is a kind of knol:). The two canine teeth in the 

 lo-^ver jaw fit into cavities in the front of the upper ja^v 

 when the mouth is closed, ^vhile the front canine teeth 

 on the intermaxillaries project beyond the margin of the 

 lower jaw. There are 8 pharyngeals, and teeth on all 

 of them, consisting of 2 lower, which are oblong in 

 shape, and 6 upper, which are smaller and coalesce into 

 2 oblong and distinctly separate pharyngeals. The t^'o 

 nostrils, the front one being furnished with a cover, are 

 situated nearer the eye than the snout, and the distance 

 between them is about the same as that between the 

 back nostril and tlie anterior orbital margin. The scales 

 are stitt' and sharp, and the}- are, as is generally the 

 case, smaller in the anterior part of the body than in 

 the posterior; even tlie cheeks (at least in the upper 

 part and in front) are covered ^\'ith scales, as ^vell as 

 the gill-cover and the suboperculum. (_)n the occiput 

 ;ind forehead and in the depression at the middle of 

 the head, the)- are of irregular occurrence. The lateral 

 line is straight and runs nearer the back than the belly. 

 The first dorsal fin begins vertically above the insertion 

 of the ventral fins, the second above the vent. As in 

 the Perch, the margin of the first is arched, while the 

 second is straighter, but, like the anal fin, slightly 

 rounded. In older specimens the base of the anal fin is 

 eciual to the distance between the anterior orbital mar- 

 gin and the hind margin of the preoperculum, or 

 about half the length of the hum of the first dorsal fin. 

 In younger specimens it is slightly shorter. The least 

 depth of the tail is about e((ual to the distance between 

 the hind margin of the eye and that of the preoperculum. 

 The pectoral fins are inserted in front of the vertical 

 line from the beginning of the first dorsal fin, and the 

 upper rays, and generally some of the lower as well, 

 are unbranched but articulated. The leno:th of the 



ventral fins is in oldei- specimens about half the distance 

 between their insertion and the beginning of the anal 

 fin, or even less. In younger specimens their length is 

 greater. The caudal fin is more forked than in the Perch. 



In lirilliancy of colouring the Pike-perch does not 

 stand high, and is considerably surpassed 1)}- the Pei'cli. 

 The back of the head is gra-\'ish black. The back is dark 

 gray with transverse, irregular bands of l)lack spots across 

 it, Avhich usually extend down the sides a little below 

 the lateral line. The sides become lighter and lighter 

 towards the belly, being at first bluish gray on a l^rass- 

 yellow ground, then brass-}-ellow towards the belly, 

 which is silver-white. The first dorsal fin is bluish with 

 oblong black and yellowish spots arranged longitudinally 

 upon it in 4 or 5 ro^vs, the spots in the top ro^\•s being 

 usually elongated into an irregular, twisted wormlike form. 

 The second dorsal fin grayish with smaller, black and yel- 

 lo-wish spots. The caudal fin a darker bluish gray and 

 spotted in the same way. The jtectoral fins whitish gray. 

 The pectoral and anal fins of the same colour as the belly 

 or dirty white with blackish gra}- dots. The iris silver, 

 shading into brass-yellow and black, especiallv at the top. 

 The most remarkable varieties in colouring in Sweden are 

 a liglit one, ^\hicli genei'ally consists of young specimens 

 and those which inhabit shallow Avater where the colour 

 of the bottom is light, and a dark, usualh' including 

 older specimens and those ^\•hich live in deeper water. 

 The transverse black bands are also sometimes broken up 

 into sejjarate spots ^\-ith smaller spots between them. 



In the large lakes throughout the greafer ])art of 

 S^veden*, especially in the southern and central parts of 

 the country (except in Lake ^Vetter) and with a prefe- 

 rence for the eastern districts (though common in Lake 

 Wener and its affluents'' in Norwa}'), the Pike-perch is 

 widely spread, though in only few ])laces especially 

 numerous. In the island-belt within the Baltic it is one 

 of the rarest of fishes; but still it occurs, according to the 

 report of Mr. Limborg, the late Inspector of Fisheries, in 

 the following places in the island-belt of Sodermanland, 

 Marsviken, where it has been introduced by the planting 

 of eggs, the Firths of Nykoping and Sjosa, whither it has 

 been carried by the streams \vhich drain the neigh- 

 bouring lakes, in the Firth of Sibbo, where fry have been 



planted, and also at the mouth of the Trosa river and 



Here, as througlioul lliis work, where nothing else is reiiiarl<cd, tlie leiigtli of the body is measured from tlie tip of tlie snout to 

 the end of the middle rays in the caudal fin. 



* According to the reports of the Commission of Fisheries from 1881 to 1883 the Pike-perch is found in all the provinces of Sweden 

 except Jonkciping, Kronoberg, Gotland, Blekinge, Malinoluis, Halland, and Jamtland. 



' Cf. CoLLETT, Norijes Fiske, 1. c. 



