190 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



of this species; it even extends into the uioutli, and 

 the iris has green radii from the pupil. From the or- 

 dinary dress of the Father-Lasher one can scarcely 

 form an idea of its attire during the spaAvning-season. 

 Nature then lavishes upon it a ^vealth of colour which 

 one cannot sufficiently admire, and which it would be 

 difficult, if not impossible, to reproduce with the painter's 

 lirusli. We shall endeavour to describe the male in its 

 spawning di-ess. The head, back and tail olive-green, 

 darker above, with a dasli of yellowish Ijrown, lighter 

 lielow, shading into green. The top of the head mar- 

 bled with dark olive-bro^vn and thinl}' strewn with 

 bluish green spots; the lower part of the head adorned 

 with numerous, golden figures, interspersed with a few 

 whitish blue or pearl-coloured spots. The top part of 

 the l)ody crossed by four, dark olive-brown, transverse 

 stripes, the first of whicli is the Ijroadest and extends 

 down to the insertion of the pectoral fin; the others 

 strictly extend only to the lateral line, but may l)e 

 regarded as being continued a little Avay belo^v it Ijy 

 several, large, scattered figures. All these transverse 

 stripes are coasted l)y a narrow, pearl-coloured margin, 

 which is wanting only along the anterior edge of the 

 first stripe. The belly half-way up the sides, and the 

 breast a handsome golden yellow, with three round, 

 pearl-coloured spots: one in front of the vent, one by 

 the ventral fins and the tliird on tlie breast; there is 

 also a whitish stripe straight across the hyoid Ijone. 

 Along the lower side of the lateral line scattered, small 

 spots of a 1)luish green tint — a. larger spot of the 

 same colour at the end of the line. The pectoral fins 

 yellowish brown, the lowest 7 rays olive-green, with 

 distinct, dark-l)rown, transverse stripes, which gradually 

 fade avfay on the membrane, which is lighter and 

 speckled witli bi'owii: on the inside of these rays three 

 or four light, jjearl-coloured, round spots between the 

 transverse stri[)es. Three larger spots of the same co- 

 lour, edged witli a narrow, blackish brown margin, in 

 a row just in the axil. The ventral fins olive-green at 

 llie base, then light blue, with In-ownish spots both on 

 the rays and on the membrane. The anal fin yellowish 

 l)rown, with somewhat darker rays, on Avhich there are 

 three or four dark russet, transverse stripes. The caudal 

 fin, like tlie second dorsal, yellowish brown with darker 

 rays, four or five dark russet stripes and a flame-coloured, 

 (hirker yellow meml)rane. The first dorsal tin darker 

 tlian the second, more grayish brown, Avith a lai'ge 

 bhu'kish brown spot between the fifth and seventh rays. 



and throughout finely marbled Avith the same colour, 

 thougli of a lighter shade. The iris blackish brown, 

 with a fine, yellow ring round the pupil, and bluish 

 green radii. 



In the structure of the internal organs there is no 

 difference worthy of remark between this species and 

 the Sea Scorpion. 



The Father-Lasher is known, as appears from the 

 collections of the Royal Museum, from Waidegula (on 

 Kola Peninsula, near Norway) round all the coasts of 

 Scandinavia, up the Baltic as far as the island-belt of 

 Stockholm. Southwards, along the European side of the 

 Atlantic, its geographical range extends, according to 

 MoREAU, to the middle of the west coast of France, and 

 according to Steindaciinek, to the coast of Galicia. We 

 have no knoAvledge of its occurrence in Greenland (cf. 

 Jordan and Gilbert). It lives only in salt water. On 

 the coast of Scandinavia, uj) to the year 1833, it had 

 ])een met with only in Bohuslan and Norway; but it was 

 then foiuid 1)}- Count Boxde in the Baltic, among the 

 islands round ^lorko. In the latter ])lace, and also in 

 the island-l)elt of Stockholm (cf. Sindevall), it has often 

 been found since that time, but it occurs in no great 

 number and is taken only occasionally. When it is 

 caught, one generally gets a pair, male and female. In 

 the island-belt of Bohuslan, (jii the other hand, it is by 

 no means rare, and is taken there almost as often as the 

 Sea Scorpion, during the shooting of the seine: speci- 

 mens of all ages are found, both in sunniier and in win- 

 ter. In the Sound, according to Winther, it is most 

 numerous and largest at the deeper spots, where the 

 water is from 6 to 10 fathoms in depth, and the bottom 

 is ovei'grown Avith seaweed and not of too loose a nature. 

 The fishermen scarcely take the trouble to notice this 

 fish at all: they generally throw it away or, at most, 

 use it as bait. They have generally no special name for 

 it, but use the same name, Ulk, both for it and for the 

 Sea Scorpion. Malm states, however, that on Kyrk5sund 

 it is called IlonniJke and on Sydkoster Berfjidkc. Ac- 

 coi'ding to NiLSSON it is called Dvcir/ifJk at Abekas. 



The spawning-season of the Father-Lasher, at which 

 time it is taken in the greatest numbers, occurs at the 

 end of November and in December. Its food is the 

 same as tliat of the other Scandinavian Coffi, consisting 

 chiefly of crustaceans and small fishes. With these 

 exceptions we know \ery little of its manner of life. 

 No special method of fishing is jjractised for this spe- 

 cies, nor is it used as food. (Ekstrom, Smitt.) 



