242 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



pai'tly as spermatic vesicula'. In the females m> cor- 

 responding strncture appears, except that the posterior 

 l)art of the left ovary is often more or less distinctly 

 separated from the remainder l)y a fold, being bent 

 down\v'ards and slichtlv forwards. In tlie female, how- 



Fig. G4. Ovicapsulc from tli<' ovary of a Gobhis niijer, taken on tlie 



lOtli of July, 1877, in tlio island-belt of Gothenburg; together 



with the egg enclosed in the capsuli-. Magn. r!3 diam. 



ever, there appears another ])eciiliarit)': tiie eggs are 

 enveloped in a sijecial coNering, which at the same time 

 serves as an instrinueiit of adhesion. This covering 

 consists of an oval capsule (tig. 64), whicli, as long as 



it is retained in the ovary at least, is transparent; and 

 within it the egg lies in a. perfectly transparent fluid, 

 in wliic'l), however, there float a inimber of more solid, 

 refractive granules which collect in a girdle round the 

 egg in the middle of the capsule. To the thick end 

 of the capsule is attached the adhesive apparatus, which 

 is shai)ed like a frill or cap, formed by a great number 

 of contiguous, transparent filaments concentrically ar- 

 ranged round tliis pole. In the ovary we have always 

 found this frill hanging down over the capsule; but 

 when the capsule leaves the iish, the frill is turned up, 

 and the tilaraents spread, attaching the capsule to some 

 object, with the thick pole as fastening-point". 



The Scandinavian Gohiiiia;, which are all without 

 ])alatine or vomerine teeth, belong to three genera, 

 which may be distinguished as follows: 



A: First dorsal Hu with at least b rays. 



a: Jaw-teeth in several rows (ieiius Gol'liis. 



b: Jaw-teeth in one row, witli single 



canines within this row . (ieniis Aphifa. 



B: First dorsal fin with two rays or nidi- 

 men tar v . (Jemis Cri/sfalloaobius. 



Genus GOBIUS. 



Tlie faliii/ doiigated hodij for the most part covered ivitli rfeiioid scales, hitf auter/orlj/ {ou flte head and the parts 

 just behind it), darliif/ i/oath at least, i/aked or icitli ci/cloid scales. Simple, but firmlii set, pointed teeth in a 

 card or In serend rotes hi the loirer jair and on the intermaxillary bones. First dorsal Jin irith at least 5 rays. 

 Ventral funnel united to the central side only at the base. Gape relatively small, and the jairs so short that the 

 least depith of the tail is generally more than ^'g of the length of the loirer jair, irhich in all the Scandinavian 

 species is less than \^ tlie length of the head. A relatively broad part of the branchiostegal membrane united to 

 the isthmus or to the corresponding membrane on the other side, the gill-openings being thus more or less vertical. 

 Branchiostegal rays •>. Where tlie air-bladder is jn'oscid, it is usually small. 



that generally cause the systematizer most trouble. A 

 great part of the geiuis Gobiiis must be ascribed to the 

 latter class. Howexer various may be the opinions as 

 to the limitation of the species, in any case this genus, 

 whicli M'as first established bv Airi'EDi'', in the form 

 in whicli it has been adopted bv Gunthkr', with 



It is the giants and pigmies among the vertebrates '• nearh' 300 described species, is sutRciently lai'ge to 



require division, if only on the score of convenience. 

 An attempt to accomplish this has been most thorough- 

 ly made by Bleeker'. Whether the 36 genera which 

 he adopted, all have a right to their position, is, how- 

 ever, a matter of doulit, and in the Scandinavian fauna 

 of little iin])ortance. 



« Of. Mai.m, Ubijs, Holi. Fii.. p. 44-2, tab. 11, ligs. '2 and ?>. 

 ' Gen. Pise, p. 28. 



' Introd. t. Stud;/ of Fis/i.. [i. 480; llaiidl. d. /(:htlii/oL. p. 345. 

 '' Arch. Neerl., 1. c. 



