128 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



Genus TRACHINUS. 



Head sUfjJitl;/ broader {thicker) than the frniik. Gape distinctly vertical. Cardiform teeth on the jaus, the vomer, 

 the palatine and the jyterygoid hones. Tongue smooth. A strong, pointed spine on the operculum. Preopercuhim 

 and prcorhital hones dentated, but sometimes tvith the dentations hidden by the skin". Six or .seven strong, pungent., 

 spinous rays in the first dorsal fin. Lower rays of the pectoral fins undivided or at least with free tips. Scales 

 of the body small, and arranged in distinct, oblique, transverse rous. Branchiostegal rays 6. Pseudobranchio' 

 distinct. Pyloric appendages few, usually 6. Xo air-bladder. Branched rays in the caudal fin 10 or 11. 



The genus Trachinus, in which five veiy closely 

 related species ;ire recorded'', in its geographical range 

 has the peculiarity that it is known only in the ^ledi- 

 terranean, the Avest coasts of Europe and Africa, and 



the west coast of S. America, while from the west of 

 the Atlantic we have no information of a single species 



of the genus. 



THE GREAT WEEVER (sw. f.iarsingen). 

 TRACHINUS DRACO. 



(Plate IV, fi^. 3.) 



Preorbital spiue short, dentoid, turned downu-ards and outa-ards in a fonrard direction. Tn-o or three supraorbital 

 spines above tin' anterior upper corner of the orbit. First dorsal fin black, with (> spinous rays; the .second with 

 about 30 rays, and the anal tvith about 32. Cheeks scaly. Greatest depth of the body from 15 to 19 % of the length. 



R. hi: 6; D. 6 728—31''; A. 

 10 + 6 1. 5; V. ';,; C. ,r.+ ll+.r. 



30 1. SI' 



; P. 1 1. 2 + 8 ad 



Si/n. Jqu-mov, Aristot. cett.: vide Art., Tchth., 'Syii., p. 70. 



Trachinus draco, LiN., &i/.it. Nat., ed. X, toni. I, p. 250; BrOnn., 

 Ichth. MassiL, p. 19; Risso, IcJitli. Nice, p. 108: Id., Eur. 

 Mer., vol. Ill, p. 260; Cuv., Val., Hixt. Nat. Poiss., vol. 

 Ill, p. 238; NiLSS., Prodv. Ichth. Sc, p. 90; Fries, Ekstr. 

 et Wright, Skand. Fiskar, ed. 1, p. 13, pi. 3, fig. 1; 

 KviOY.,- Danm. Fiske, vol. I, p. 55; Nordm. in Dem., Voij. 

 Bus. Mer., vol. Ill, p. 370; Costa, Fn. Regn. N'ap., part. 

 1, Acantotterigi Percoidei, Trachini, p. 1; NiLSS., Skand. 

 Fn., Fisk., p. 40; Gthk, Cat. Brit. Mus., Fish., vol. II, 

 p. 233; Steind., Stzber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math. Naturw. 

 CI., LVI (1867), 1, p. 696; Coll., Vid. Selsk. Forh. Christ, 

 1874, Tillc-egsh., p. 42; Schmidt, Nord. Medic. Ark. 1874, 



No. 2; Malm, Gbgs, Doh. Fn., p. 407; Winth., Zool. Dan. 

 Fiske, p. 7, tab. 1, fig. 6; Id., Naturb. Tidskr., Kbhvn, 

 ser. 3, vol. XII, p. 11: Day, Fish. G:t Brit., Irel., vol. 1. 

 p. 79, tab. XXX; Lillj., j6V., Norg. Fiskar, vol. 1, p. 82; 

 MoR., Hist. Nat. Poiss. Fr., vol. 2, p. 98; Mi'iB., Hcke, 

 Fische der Ostsee, p. 41. 



Obs. It seems highly probable tli.it llie South European forms 

 Trachinus aranctis and Tr. radiutus which were distinguished by CuviER, 

 following Salvianus and Delaroche, may be regarded as being merely 

 deep-sea forms and colour-varieties of the same species as Tr. draco. 

 Steindachnrr (1. c.) has pointed out the near relation between the 

 first-mentioned forms; and the character (with the exception of the 

 coloration) on which CnviER and his successors grounded the species 

 l^rachinits araneus, the 7 rays in tlie first dorsal fin, has long ago 

 been pointed out by Kroyer in Tr. draco. For tlie further elucida- 

 tion of this point I maj' adduce a specimen of the Weever, a male 



" In one species (from Chili) the preorbital bone is described as having a long, recurved spine, hut it generally has one or two 

 pointed or blunt protuberances instead. 



'' A proof of the sligbtness of the specific diflEerences within this genus is given by Kner (Stzber. .\kad. W 

 Naturw. CI. LVI, 1 (1867), p. 717), who found no other difference between Trachinus draco and a Weever from Iquique 

 height (more elongated form) of the latter. Cf. GCnther, Cat. Brit. Mus., 1. c. The generic name Tracliinus owes its exi 

 (Ichth., part. II, p. 74): "a XQCty^tlvog, asper, scabcr, quia ossicula pinmc dorsalis valde aspera et aculeata sunt". Cuvier's 

 name from ()p«/.«()'ft thus finds no support with .^rtedi. 



•■ Sometimes 7, according to Kroyer. 



' . 32 



iss. Wien, Math, 

 than the smaller 

 stence to Artedi 

 derivation of the 



