64 



■SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



The length of the lie.-id is between 27 iind 24 ?» of the 

 length of the body", and its supei'ior profile slopes more 

 or less steeply, u]) to (in the so-called Mullus harhatus) 

 an angle of about 67° with the inferior profile. The 

 interorbital space is convex or flat, or even concave, the 

 latter conditicju depending not oid}- on tlie elevation of 

 the supraorbital margins, but also on a greater deve- 

 lopment of tlie two longitudinal ridges on the frontal 

 bones, which run between tiie supi-aorbital margins and 

 parallel to each other. The mouth is small and the 

 opening almost horizontal. Of the teeth on tlie inter- 

 maxillaries, which disappear with age, one or two may 

 sometimes be olxserved still present in adult specimens. 

 The t^\■o nostrils on each side are fairly far apart, the 

 anterior being small and round, the posterior forming 

 a more or less vertical slit just in front of tlie eyes, 

 which are of average size or fairly large. The hori- 

 zontal diameter of the latter varies between 21 and 

 24 % of the length of the head', or between 5 '/a and 

 6 % of the length of the bodv'. The barbels beneath 

 the chin, which may be hidden under the intei'oper- 

 cula, extend about as far back as the perpendicular 

 from the hind margin of the preopercula. The bran- 

 chiostegal membranes are united lieneath the isthmus 

 and are extended on 4 rays, the first of \vhicli, how- 

 ever, is small and se]»arate from the others, and ac- 

 cording to Malm (1. c.) is wanting in young specimens. 

 The operculum and suboperculum each are distinguished, 

 as in the preceding family, by their short extent in the 

 longitudinal direction of the body. The base of the 

 fii'st dorsal fin, minus the membrane which connects 



the last ray with the back, is about equal to that of 

 the second; its distance from the tip of the snout varies 

 between 32 and 34 % of the length of the bod)''. The 

 first ray is extremely small, sometimes scarcely visible 

 externally. The base of the anal fin, which is equal 

 to or a little longer than the least depth of the tail, 

 is about 73 % of the base of the second dorsal", half 

 of the lengtli of tlie pectoral and 10 % of the length 

 of the body'. The first ray is so small and so closely 

 united to the second that it may easily be overlooked. 

 The scales of the body are comparatively large and 

 thin. On the cheeks 3 rows of scales, on the inter- 

 operculum 1 row, and on the posterior part of the 

 maxillary bones, as a rule, 3 scales. Above the lateral 

 line in front 2 or 2V3 rows, farther liack 3 or S^/g. 

 The colouring of the l)od}- is very variable, especially 

 at deatli. This is the result of the difference in the 

 contraction of the dermal pigment cells. When they 

 are most contracted, the red colour is jn-edominant". 

 At other times the back shades oft" into brown, the sides 

 into rose and the belly into white. The longitudinal, 

 yellow stripes, \vhich are often ■wanting or hidden below 

 the red tint, are most distinct in sjn-ing, in May, wlien 

 the spa-wning-season is at hand*. The first dorsal fin, 

 according to ]\Ioreau', has, in the so-called Gold-striped 

 Mullet, a bright lilac l)and at the base, and above that 

 a, large, orange spot, and higher up is Avhitish but 

 crossed by a yellow band with a large, black spot. 

 The second dorsal and the caudal fins are orange: the 

 pectoral a paler yellow. The anal and the ventral of 

 the same colour as the belly, more or less dashed with 



" Maximuni iii 5 specimens from 142 to 252 mms. in length 26.7 % 



Average ,, ,, 



Minimum ,, ,, 



' Maximiun ,, ,, 



Average „ „ 



Minimum ,, ., 



'' Minimum ,, .. 



Average ,, ,, 



• Maximum „ ,. 



'' Maximum ,, ,, 



Average ,, ,, 



Minimum ,. „ 



' Minimum ,, ,, 



Average „ ,, 



Maximum ,, ,, 



^ Minimum ,, ,, 



Average „ „ 



Maximum ,, ,, 



26.0 % 



24.6 % 



24.0 % 



22.8 % 



21.0 % 



5.6 % 



5.9 % 



6.2 % 



34.6 % 



33.7 % 

 32.5 % 



71.4 % 



72.7 % 



73.7 % 



9.6 % 



9.9 % 



10.7 K 



" "Desquamate latera rubent, ac si minio vel rubrica tincta forent": Willuohby, 1. c. 



'■ CuviER, 1. c, p. 439. 



'■ Hist. Nat. PoisK. Fr., vol. II, p. 246. 



