1-26 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHKS. 



Fiskebackskil, avHo exhibited it for several days to 

 the visitors at Lysekil", where it was afterwards pur- 

 chased and sent to the Roy;il .Museum by Dr. A. 

 Stuxberg. 



According to Fabeh (]. c.) tlie Opab is mentioned 

 in the Edda under the name of Gudlax {godlax = 

 good Salmon) '', and in Iceland every part of the fish 

 is in general use as a remedy for all kinds of diseases. 



The following Acanthopterygian Eleutherognates 

 are distinguished from the preceding Lj'sipharyngii b)' 

 several characters, ^vhich Ave have above endeavoured 

 to express by the name of Anomalopteri. 



The Scandinavian Fauna contains the following 

 families belonging to this division: 



A: Ventral tins independent, jugular. Spinoiis-rayed 

 part of the dorsal tin or fins considerably shor- 

 ter or with a smaller number of rays than the 

 soft-rayed part. No anal papilla. Suborbital 

 ring without any osseous connexion with the 

 preopcrculum : Trafhinomorphi. 

 1: Gill-openings in front of the pectoral lins. 



a: Body compressed -.. Fam. Trachinida'. 



b: Plead broad and flattened ,, Batracliida'. 



2: Gill-openings behind or above the pectoral 



fins , _ Fam. Lophndiv. 



B: Ventral fins independent, thoracic or jugular. 

 Suborbital ring joined to the preopcrculum bj' 

 an osseous connexion. A prominent papilla 

 often present at the vent. Body Cottiform or 

 Perciform: Cottomorpln. 



1 : Body with ordinary scales or naked or 

 partly covered with plates. 

 a: SjDinous-rayed part of the dorsal fin longer 

 (with more rays) than the soft-rayed 



part, or at least as long as it Fam. Scorpmnidm. 



b: Spinous-rayed part of the dorsal fin 

 shorter (with fe'wer rays) than the soft- 

 rayed part -- Fam. Cottidce. 



2: Body almost entirely covered with plates 



Fam. Agonidce. 



C: Ventral fins (when present) independent, ju- 

 gular or thoracic. A prominent papilla some- 

 times present at the vent. Spinous-rayed part 

 of the dorsal fin (where it is hardened) longer 

 (with more rays), or at least only slightly 

 shorter, than the soft-rayed part behind the 



spinous rays. Suborbital ring usually with- 

 out any osseous connexion with the pre- 

 opcrculum. Body low and compressed, 

 more or less taenoid : Bleimomorphi. 

 1 : No molars on the jaws or palate. Fam. Blenniidce. 

 2: Molars on the jaws and palate... ,, Anarrliicltadida'. 

 D: Ventral fins generally united. A promi- 

 nent papilla at the vent. Spinous-rayed 

 part of the dorsal fin shorter than the soft- 

 rayed, and with flexible spines, or wanting. 

 Suborbital ring generally without any osse- 

 ous connexion with the preopcrculum. 

 Body long and low or bulky : Gobiomovphi. 

 1: The rays of the ventral fins may be ex- 

 ternally distinguished, but the fins are 



united in a funnel form.. Fam. (joliiidw. 



2: Rays of the ventral fins distinguishable 



and the fins remote' from each other. Fam. CaUioiii/inidir. 

 3: Bays of the vcnti'al fins indistinguishable 

 in the sucking-disk formed by the union 



of these fins Fam. Cydopteridw. 



4: Ventral fins remote from each other, but 

 between them a sucking-disk. No spi- 

 nous-rayed part in the dorsal ihi. Fam. Gobiesocidw. 

 E: Ventral fins independent, much longer than 

 the pectoral, and generally witli more than 

 five soft rays. Form of the body high and 



compressed: Ci/ttomorpJii Fam. Zenida'. 



F: Ventral tins (where they exist) independent, 

 much longer than the pectoral, and gene- 

 rally with less or more than five soft rays. 

 No anal fin. Body compressed and long, 

 ribbon-shaped. Caudal fin irregular, raised 

 upwards, or wanting: Traclii/jHeromoiphi 



Fam. Trachypteridw. 

 G: Ventral fins independent, abdominal: Mu- 



giliformes Fam . MugilUhv. 



We give the first place among these fishes to a 

 group of families, as a. type of Avhich Ave may take tlie 

 Avell-knoAvn and realh' formidal)le Weever. 



" a watcrinjj-place in Bolmslan. Tn. 



' Aasen {Noivk Ordbog) suspects, liowever, tlial by this word may be meant Gtddlax (Gullax, Anjentina Silas, according to Nn.ssoN). 



