GOBIES. 



•245 



adopted by Fkies, tojjether with Gohiiis Jrfreysii, a 

 species which has lieeii descril)ed at a later date. Per- 

 liajjs, however, we may be compelled rather to return 

 to Nilsson's point of view in liis Prodromiis, where he 



refers Gohiiis Jiavescens and Gob. mhnitus to one spe- 

 cies, an ojiinioii which would now involve the regard- 

 iiig of all the last seven "species" in the above table 

 as \ari('ties of one and tlie same species. 



THE BLACK GOBY (sw. svahta smorbulten). 



GOBIUS NIGER. 



Plate XIII, figs. ^ - 6. 



Second dorsal fin Joug, the JoH/fli of its has(^ bcin// at least ei/iial to " 5 of the distance heftveen the first dorsal 

 fill and the tiji of the snout. Peduncle of the tail deep and short: its least depth in fidl-tjrotvn specimens more 

 than ^/s of the distance between the first rai/s in the tiro dorsal fins, and its lenr/fh from the end of the base of 

 the second dorsal fin to the fi'rst upper supporting/ rai/ of the caudal fin at most about 40 — 45 % of the base of 

 the second dorsal fin. Lonffitudinal diameter of the eye in full-ffronm specimens less, or at most only sliglitly more, 

 than V4 of the length of the head. Caudal fin rounded at the end. The two dorsal fins set fairly close together, 

 sometimes united at the base. Scales middle-sized, about 40 in a row along the sides of the body, and about i^ 

 in a transverse row between the beginning of the anal fin and the second dorsal fin. Scales of the front part of 

 the body extending forward, in full-grown specimens, along the dorsal side to a point vertically above the hind margin 

 of the eye, and on the abdominal side to a point vertically beloir the union of the branchiostegal membranes and the 

 isthmus. Body marked with indistinct, black, transverse bands on a broirnish green or dark grayish green ground. 



R. br. 5; D. 6| 



11 — 13 



A. 



10—12' 



P. 17 — 10; I' 



('. .r+13(15) + .f 



Gobius vel Gobio (inarinus) niger, (Salv.), Belon, Rondel., 

 Gksn., WilluCtHby, Schonev., vide Art., Geii. Pise, p. 28; 

 tiyii. Pise, p. 40. 



Gobias niger. Li.\., 6'yst. Nat., ed. X, torn. I, p. 262; Mull., Zool. 

 Dan. Prodi'., p. 44; Retz., Fn. Suec. Lin., p. 326; Nilss., 

 Prodr. Ichth. tScand., p. 93; Ekstr., Vet.-Akad. Handl. 

 1834, p. 60; Fr., ibid. 1838, p. 242; Kr., Damn. Fiske, 

 I, p. 382; Ekstr., Skand. Fisk., ed. 1, p. 157; Wright, 

 ibid., tab. 36; Nilss., 6'kand. Fauna, Fisk.. p. 219; Sundev., 

 Stockh. Lans Hush. S.illsk. Handl. VI (1856), p. 80; Gthr, 

 Cat. Brit. Mits., Fish., Ill, p. 11; Mgrn, Finl. Fisk. (dhp.) 

 p. 16; LiNDSTR., Goll. Fisk. (Gotl. Lans Hush. Sallsk. Ars- 

 ber. 1866) p. 15 (sep.); Winth., Naturh. Tidskr. Kbhvn, 

 ser. 3, vol. IX, p. 181, tab. VII et pp. 198 et 224; vol. 

 XI, p. 54; vol. XII, p. 16; Coll., Chrnia Vid. Selsk. Forh. 

 1874, p. 153; ibid., Tilla-gsh., p. 52; Cederstb., Ofvers. 

 Vet.-Akad. Forh. 1876, N:r 4, p. 65; Mai.m, Gbgs, Boh. Fn., 

 p. 423, tab. V, fig. 1; Feddersen, Naturh. Tidskr. Kbhvn. 

 ser. 3, vol. XII, p. 74; Heincke, Arch. f. Naturg., Jahrg. 

 46 (1880), 1, p. 306; Mor., Hist. Nat. Poiss., Fr., vo\. 11, 

 p. 230; Day, Fish. G:t Brit., Irel., I, p. 163, tab. LII, fig. 

 3; Mela, Vert. Fenn., p. 283, tab. IX; MOb., Hcke, Fische 

 d. Osts.. p. 52; LiLLJ., Sv., Norg. Fisk.. 1, p. 564; 



Gobius jo:o. Mull., Zool. Dan. Prodr.. p. 44; Retz., Fn. 

 Suec. Lin., p. 326. 



In the Baltic the Black Goby seldom exceeds a 

 length of 75 mm.. Init in the North Sea it attains a 

 length, measured from the tip of the snout to the base 



of the caudal tin, of fully 150 mm. The bodv is elong- 

 ated, anteriorly almost terete and frtnu the vent to the 

 caudal fin compressed. The greatest depth, generally 

 at the beginning of the first dorsal tin, is aliout ' ,. of 

 the total lengtli of the bodv; and the greatest thick- 

 ness, generally at the operculum, often equal to and 

 in other cases only slightly less than the depth. The 

 lea.st depth of the body (tail) is about ' ,„ (in young 

 specimens about ' j^) of the length. The back is broad 

 and convex, the belly flat; the curves of the dorsal and 

 ventral profiles about equal. The head is fairly large, 

 measuring slightly less than V4 of the length of the 

 body, convex at the top, with a depression between 

 the eyes, and flat underneath. The length of the per- 

 pendicular drawn through the eye is ' , the length of 

 the head. The cheeks are .so tumid that the breadth 

 (thickness) of the head across them is */j of its length. 

 The occiput is also tumid, Avith a longitudinal groove 

 which ends at the beginning of the first dorsal fin, in the 

 middle. The mouth is fairly large and turned somewhat 

 upwards; the length of the lower jaw is about 43 %" of 

 that of the head. The jaws project about equally far; 

 they are surrounded by a thick skin in the form of a 

 round lip, and are armed with short, pointed teeth, set in 

 several irreofular rows. In the outermost row the teeth 



" In young specimens the lower jaw is relatively longer. 

 45 °„ of that of the head. 



In a specimen 34 mm. long we found the length of the lower jaw to be 



