KED ML'LLET. 



63 



Trigla 1 et 2; Art., Geit. Pise, p. i'd; -Syn., pp. 71 ct 72. 

 MttUus Imrbatus, Cicer., Attic, 22; Li.v., Syst. Nat., ed. X, 

 loin. I, p. 299; Cuv., Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. Ill, p. 442, 

 tab. 70; Gthr, Cat. Brit. Mhs., Fish., vol. I, p. 401; 

 Steind., Stzber. Aknd. Wiss. Wien, LVI, i, (18G7) ]k 635; 

 Day, Fish. 0:t Brit., Irel., part. I, p. 22, tab. VIII. 

 MiiUhs surmuletus, Lim., Syst. Nat., ed. X, torn. I, p. 300; Retz., 

 Fn. 6'uw. Lin., p. 341; Cuv., Val., 1. c, p. 433; NiLsa., 

 Prodr. fchth. Sc, p. 89; Krov., (Den gimlstribede ^ftdle) 

 fJanm. Fiske, part. I, p. 72; Nilss., 6'hand. Fn., Fisk., p. 

 47; Gthr, 1. c; Coll., Forh. Vid. Selsk. Christ., 1874, Til- 

 litgsh., p. 17; Malm {GtddmnUe) Gbgs, Boh. Fn., p. 382; 

 WiNTH., Zool. Dan., Fiske, p. 5, tab. 1, fig. 5; Id., Naturh. 

 Tidskr. Kbhvn., ser. 3, vol. XII (1879), p. 7; Lillj., Sv., 

 Norij. Fiskar, vol. I, p. 203; Mob., Hcke, Fische der Ost- 

 see, p. 34. 

 Mulltis dubius, Malm, Ofvers. Vet.-Akad. Fi'.rli. 1852, p. 224, 



tab. Ill, fig. 1. 

 Obs. Salvianus distinguished between the true and the large 

 Red Mnllet; and this distinction, in spite of the protest of Brunnich", 

 was preserved by science with Cuvier's sanction, until GOnther in 

 his Catalogue (p. 402) declared some doubts of its correctness. Sub- 

 sequently, Steindachner, in his account of observations made on the 

 fishes of Spain and Portugal, was enabled by a large quantity of ma- 

 terials for comparison to declare this distinction of species untenable. 

 The first-named ''species" (Mtillus barbalus, auctt.) was said to have 

 a more vertical profile owing to the steep slope of the snout from 

 the forehead, and in conjunction herewith the membranous hind mar- 

 gin of the maxillary bones was said to reach farther backwards, some 

 distance behind the perpendicular from the anterior margin of the 

 eye. The larger "species" on the other hand, the Gold-striped Mxdlet 

 (Midlits surmuletus, auctt.) was said to have a more elongated snout, 

 and the maxillary bones were said not to extend so far backwards 

 with regard to the situation of the eye. Among 75 specimens, how- 

 ever, Steixdach.N'ER found that several were intermediate forms that 

 might equally well have been referred to either of these two "spe- 

 cies"'; and in these specimens the longitudinal, yellow streaks were 

 common to both "species". In the same manner Costa*, though 

 without acknowledging it, had already come to the same conclusion, 

 for he figured a specimen of Mullus surmuletus with the maxillary 

 bones extending considerably under the eyes, and the head of a spe- 

 cimen of Mullus bcirbatus' with the snout quite as elongated as in 

 .M. surmuletus. In two specimens of Mullus barbatus (according to 

 Hedenborg) from the Bosphorus, I find the snout of the one, a male, 

 comparatively greatly elongated, and the maxillary bones far from 

 extending backwards to the perpendicular from the anterior margin 



of the eye, wliile the snout of the other, a female, is more vertical 

 in profile, and the end of the maxillary bones is almost in the said 

 perpendicular: — in the former the interorbital space is plain, in the 

 latter distinctly concave''. Thus no difference of species can well 

 be maintained between these forms. The opinion of Gronovius^, that 

 Mtdlus barbatus was the male and Mullus surmuletus the female of 

 the same species, has also proved untenable-'': — thus not even a 

 distinction of sex on this ground can be maintained. Still it seems 

 undeniable that the two forms, as such, are generally distinct in nature, 

 — a fact best proved by the circumstance that only the one form 

 has been met witli on the coasts of Scandinavia. An explanation of 

 the relation between them seems suggested by the result of observa- 

 tions made on the individual development of these fishes. In the 

 young specimens (fig. 17) described by Malji-', the profile of the 



Fig. 17. Young of Mullus barbatus. Life size. After Malm. 



head is almost like that of the Cod ; and from this pointed and com- 

 paratively long form the interorbital space rises during the growth 

 of the fish, until it reaches the Mullus-ioTvu. The form most deve- 

 loped in this respect is, therefore, Mullus barbatus; but here we are 

 met by the strange fact that it is highly seldom or perhaps never 

 that we find specimens of this form as large as the larger specimens 

 of M. surmuletus. GtJNTHER'', it is true, cites one specimen of M. 

 barbatus 14 inches in length, which is also the largest measurement 

 given by Willughby' for M. surmuletus. According to Moreau^', 

 however, the latter form may attain a length of 400 mm., and Day* 

 mentions a specimen, presumably of this form, which was taken at 

 Mevagissey, 17 inches in length. Thus Mullus surmuletus must be 

 regarded as a larger form, which has been stunted in the develop- 

 ment of one of the strangest outer peculiarities of this genus. 



The body is oblong and .slightly compre.ssed, the 

 greatest thickness, as well as the greatest depth, lies be- 

 hind the head. The greatest depth, which is less than or 

 (in large specimens) equal to the length of the head, varies 

 between '24 and 21 % (jf the length of the body from 

 the tip of the snout to the end of the middle rays in 

 the caudal tin'. Tlie least depth of the body (that of 

 the tail) varies between 9 and 10 % of the length'". 



" Ichthyologia Massiliensis (1768) p. 72. 



* Fauna del regno di Napoli, Pesci, part. I, (1860) Triglia, p. 13, Spieg. della tav. IX, fig. 3. 



' . . . "perche se ne distingua la forma comparativamente a quella della T. maggiore": 1. c. 



'' Cf. Lilljeborg, 1. c. 



' Gronov. Cut. Fish., ed. Gray, p. 108. 



•'' Cf. Steindachner, 1. c. 



■J Ofvers. Vet.-Akad. Forh. 1852. 1. c. and Gbgs, Boh. Fn.. pp. 383 & 384. 



'■ Cut, 1. c. 



' Hist. Pise. ed. R.aji, Oxford 168G, p. 285. 



■' Hist. Nat. Poiss. Fr., vol. II, p. 244. 



' 1. c, p. 24. 



' Maximum in 5 specimens from 142 to 252 mms. in length 24.2 °i 



Average „ ,, „ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ 22.9 % 



Minimum ,, ,, „ „ „ „ „ „ ,, „ 21.2 'i 



'» Maximum ., „ „ ., „ „ „ „ „ „ 9.9 ',1, 



Average „ „ „ „ „ ,. ,. „ „ „ 9.5 'i 



Minimum „ „ „ „ „ „ ., ,, „ „ 8.9 'i 



