iJLrK-MorTir. 



15i 



leiiirth". 



nc 



least (Icptli, nil the otlici' hand, is "•reatei' 



ill the iUue-iuouth. In a specimen of" tliis spcfies 352 

 \n\n. \i)\\'j: the least depth oi' the tail is i) % of the 

 length of the l)ody, while in Scltasfea we have never 

 known it to exceed 8'/., %;. The length of the head is 

 also grealer than in the Norway Haddock, being about 

 o4 % of tile length of the body''. The eyes of the 

 Blue-mouth, too, are comparatively larger — even in 

 specimens 350 mm. long the longitudinal diameter of 

 the orbit is about 10 % of the length of the body, a 

 relation wliieh seems to cease in tiie Norway Haddock 

 at a length of about 225 mm. The dui-sal tin is re- 

 latively of the same length in both species; but in the 

 Blue-mouth the spinous-rayed pait is higher and com- 

 paratively shorter. The caudal tin is perfectlv truncate 

 or rounded. The pectoral tins with their singular form 

 — superiorly truncate at the point — are considerabl)' 

 broader at the base than in the preceding species, and 

 their simple, lower rays are thicker and to a great 

 extent free at the top, "tingerlike", a circumstance from 

 which tlie species derives its name {(larfi/Idpfcra). The 

 length of the belly (the distance fr(jm the front point 

 in the base of the ventral tins to the beginning of the 

 anal tin) is less in this species than in the preceding 

 one, being under ^ ^ of the length of the body. This 

 is sho^\•n more clearly by comparison with the least 

 depth of the body or the length of the lower jaw, both 

 of wliicli are greater in the Blue-mouth, the former 

 being more than ^'.j, the latter more than '^ ^, of the 

 length of the I)elly. 



The connexion betM^een the suborbital ring and 

 the preoperculum is much more marked in the Blue- 

 mouth than in the Norway Haddock. This "osseous 

 bridge" runs externally across the cheek in the form 

 of a sharp ridge, which is anteriorly continued on the 

 surface of the preorbital bone. The superior ridges 

 and spines of the head are also more strongly defined 

 in the Blue-mouth. The least breadth of the inter- 

 orbital space in middle-sized specimens, about 350 mm. 

 in length, is only about 12 % of the length of the 

 head and 42 % of the longitudinal diameter of the 

 orl)it. Ill this narrow interorbital space runs a deep. 



longitudinal groove, coasted by two frontal ridges, whicli 

 in the preceding species are only rudimentary; and 

 I)etweeii the latter and the raised, upper margin of the 

 orbit runs another groove on each side. In eacli of these 

 two lateral grooves lies a cranial branch of the lateral 

 line, with an orifice, whicli is sometimes open, above 

 the anterior nostril and nearer the middle of the fore- 

 head than it, while a similar muciferous pore, the orifice 

 of the branch of the system of the lateral line Avhicli 

 belongs to the inferior orbital margin, a]>pears (nitside 

 and lielow the anterior nostril''. 



The scales are of the same structure as in Sehastcf>, 

 with fine spines at the hind margin, and within these 

 a pretty, retiform brim, formed of the roots of pre- 

 existent, marginal spines; but the accessory scales are 

 entirely wanting in this species. 



The lateral line slopes fairly evenly down from 

 the temples, but never descends so low as the middle 

 of the side. 



The geographical range is remarkable in one respect, 

 though this may be explained by the variations in the 

 depth of the .\tlantic. The Blue-mouth is a ^lediter- 

 ranean fish, liy no means rare off Nice and in those parts 

 of the Mediterranean where hooks are used for deep-sea 

 fishing, and it is also known off the south of Portugal, 

 the Canary Islands and Madeira; but north of Portugal 

 it has never been found south of Norway, ■where it 

 occurs at depths varying from 100 to 300 fathoms, 

 from Stavanger north along the whole coast. It is 

 most often taken off Bergen, where it is met Avith all 

 the -sear round. It \vas from here that the specimens 

 were obtained whicli enabled v. Dlbex and Korex in 

 1844 to claim and describe it as a Scandinavian species; 

 but as far north as Tromso, according to Collett, it is 

 so common that it is sometimes caught "by the barrel". 

 It is Avell known, say v. Dubex and Korex, to most of 

 the Bero'en fishermen bv the name of Shdr-aiir {iir)' or 

 Blakaft, the latter name cori'esponding to Boca-negra 

 (Black-moutli), the name by which it is known in Ma- 

 deira. According to Lowe its flesh is of little value, 

 being both flabby and tasteless. According to Lilljeboro 

 its flavour is not so good as that of the Norway' Haddock. 



" In one of the largest specimens (about 440 mm. in lengtli) Steisdachner, however, found tlie greatest deptli of the body to be 

 only 25 % of the length. 



'' According to Steindachner, however, the length of the head varies between 31 % and 33 % of that of the liody. 



" Cf. the preceding species. 



'' = Rock-ur, cf. the preceding species. 



