58 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



THE SPANISH SEA-BREAM. 



SFARIIS ERYTHRIXUS. 



Fig. 15. 



Length of the snout more than '/^ of the length of the head, its breadth more than. \'^ of the base of the anal 

 fin, the length of n-hich is, however, less than half the distance from the tip of the snout to the beginning of the 

 dorsal fin, and also than I'/o times the length of the lower jaw. Longitudinal diameter of the eye more than V4 

 of the least depth of the tail, which is about ^U, or at any rate less than 7io »/ f^ie length of the head or the 

 greatest depth of the liodg. Occipital branches of the lateral line but slightly marked. Colouring of the body 

 scarlet with golden and silver lustre, sometimes spotted trith blue, in youth with rose-red transverse bands, whitish 



on the rodral sides. 



Fig. 15. Spanish Sea-Bream (Spams erytlirimis) from the ^Mediterranean. V., natural size. 



12 .3 1 



R. hr. 6; D. —: A. -; A •-' + U + 2 1. 2 + 12 + 1 ; V. -; 

 10!) 5 



r. ,/■ + 15 + .t;; L. hU. GO"; /,. Ir. - '- + 1''. 



14 



S'jn. H()ii)Qr/.6g et EqvO-qivos Aristotle; Eabellio, S,\lvhnus (sec. 

 Artedi). 



Spams lotus rubens, Iride argenlea, AnT., Gen. Pise, \\. 3G; 

 Syn., p. 50. 



Spams erylhrinus, Lia., Si/st. Nat., ed. X, loin. 1, p. 279; Risso 

 (Pagms), Hist. Nat. Eur. Mer., vid. Ill, p. 361; Cdv., 

 Vai.. (Paijellus), Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. VI. ji. 170, tab. 

 150; Gthk, Brit. Mus. Cat., Fish., vol. I, p. 473; Steind., 

 Stzber. Akad. Wise. Wicn, LVI, i (1867), p. 660; \Vi.\th., 

 Zool. Dan., Fiske, p. 15, tab. Ill, fig. .3; In., Naturh. 

 Tidskr. Kbhvn, ser. .3, vol. XII (1879), p, 9; Lii.u., Sr., 

 Norg. Fn., Fisk., vol. I, p. 220. 



The Spanish Sea-Bream i.s one of the most common 

 fishes in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic outside it, 

 and as an article of food is ])y no means despised. Its 

 ordinary size seems to be between 280 and 320 mm.: 

 — according to Steindachner specimens 440 mm. and 

 more in length are extremely rare in its true home. 

 Just such a specimen, however, 460 mm. long, has once 

 been taken witliin the limits of the Scandinavian Fauna, 

 on the 4th ()f]\htrch, 1873, oft' the Skaw'. According to 

 DuHAMEL it generally lives at a depth of from 50 to 60 

 fathoms''. As far north as the south and west coasts of 

 England, according to Day', it is common, but oft" Scot- 

 land and Holland it is rare. The catch at the Skaw must 

 thus be considered only as a wandering stranger. 



" 56 — 60 according to D.\y, GO — 61 according to STEiND.vrnjjER. 

 * Vertically from the insertion of tbe ventral tins. 



' Cf. WiNTIIER, 1. c. 



'' Traite des P'eches, sect. IV, ibap. II, p. 30. 

 •■ Fish, a-.t Brit.. Ird., I, p. 41. 



