BLACK fiOBV. 



247 



ffeneralh the t'onner niniiher; the mitliUc r;ivs are tlie just heliiiid the stomach, where the small s])leeii is also 



longest. The ventral tins, which an; inserted helow the ; situated. The air-ldaddei' is clear and almost round; 



pectoral, are united into a cucullate (cornet-like) shape, , tlie uianary Madder lon;u- and narrow, 'ihe testes and 



and witli this exception norniul, each containing one | ovaries are described above. The spinal column is com- 



simple ray and five rays Invinclied to the base. The 

 anal tin, which begins at a distance t'roiri the tip of 

 the snout equal to from 4() to 4!t' ., % of the length 

 of the bodv, and the base of whicli measures from 17 



posed of '1'6 vertel)ra', 11 of which l)elong to tlie ab- 

 dominal region. 



In Scandinavia, in places of a suitable nature, tlie 



lUack frobv is a fairly common fish, both on the west 



to 20 "o of the length of the bod^-, is of the same shape , coast and in the Baltic, where, however, it becomes 

 as the second dorsal tin, and contains 12 or 13 rays, 



rarer nortliwards, oidy seldom occurring in Alands Haf 

 and the (iulf of Finland. Where the coast is saiuh. 

 however, and the vegetation scantv, it does not thrive. 

 It is thus wanting, or at least rare, on the south 

 and east coasts of Scania and the south coast of Hal- 

 land. It apparently prefers water of a moderate depth, 

 where tlie bottom is stony; and at spots of this nature 

 it is common during the summer-months, but at the 

 approacli of winter it retires into dee]) water, though 

 even at this season it is sometimes taken I)v tackle set 

 of the length of for other fishes. ( Jn the coast of Norway- its range ex- 

 tends at least as far north as Trondhjem Fjord. In the 

 Orknevs, Great Britain and Ireland, and in the Channel, 

 it is common; but whether it occurs farther soutb, is 

 still an open question. According to Nalenciexnes" 

 and Steixd.vcuxer'' it does not occur in the Mediter- 



generally the former number, the first ray lieing simple, 

 and the others branched at the tip, with tlie exception 

 of the last, which is branched to the very base, at least 

 when there are onh^ 1 2 rays. The caudal fin contains 

 14 or \h branched rays, generally the latter number; 

 but one or, in most cases two, those at the extreme 

 margin of the tin, are so short that they are most cor- 

 rectly regarded as branched supporting rays. The length 

 of tlie middle rays of this tin, in young s])ecimens, is 

 about 19 %, sometimes nearly 20 

 the bodv, in old about Hi %. 



The upi)er part of the body is greenish black, with 

 darker, broad, transverse spots on the sides. Along the 

 middle of the sides there are a few, scattered, black 

 s])ots. Occiput grayish brown; cheeks, snout and fore- 

 head black. Belly grayish white. Anterior dorsal fin ranean, but according to Caxestrim'' and ^Ioheau (1. c.) 

 yellowi.sh graj-, with darker, wavy, transverse streaks; it is even common there. These contradictory state- 



pectoral fins gi'ayish brown. Posterior dorsal and anal 

 fins greenish black, with darker margin, and tlie former 

 marked with black spots, arranged in rows. Caudal fin 

 dark grayish brown. Ventral fins velloAvish white, but 

 often, in the males, with black streaks or dots along 

 the rays. Young specimens are always lighter in colour 

 than old ones. The colour also changes quickly after 



raents are due to the \\ant of certainty in the deter- 

 mination of the species within this genus. 



The Black Goby is apparently of sluggish tempera- 

 ment, and its movements in the Avater are far from 

 active. Its food is composed chiefiA' of crustaceans and 

 worms, but it also eats vegetable substances. The 

 spawning-season occurs during the summer-months, be- 



the fish has been drawn out of the water, and then j ginning in May, and the roe is deposited on stones or 



acquires a reddish tint. dead shell-fish. "The Black Goby," says Saville-Kext'', 



The liver is yellow, and so large that it fills about '"is frequently met witli beneath large stones at Iom' 



*/,. of the left side of the abdominal cavitA'. It is also water, it selecting such a habitat not only as an ordinary 



almost undivided, only having two incisions in the right domicile, but as a luu'sery where it may safely deposit 



margin. The gall-bladder is small and white. The and hatch its spawn. The eggs', as frequently observed 



digestive canal is about ' \ longer than the body, and Ity the writer, are of very singular shape, being elong- 

 fairlv wide throughout its length; anteriorly it is some- 

 what widened to form the stomach. It forms two bends, 

 one at the end of the abdominal cavitv and another 



ate, ovate or fusiform, about three times as long as 

 broad, and are attached vertically by one of the smaller 

 ends in a single, closely approximated layer, that may 



" Gov., Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss.. vol. XII. p. 19. 



* Stzbor. Akad. Wiss. Wien. LVII (1868). I, p. 41.^. 



"■ Arch. Zool., Anat. Fis., Geiiova 1861, vol. I, p. 135. 



'' Bril. Mar. Freshir. Fish., Handb. Gt. Intern. Fish. Exhib. London 188;-5. 



' See above, ji. 242. 



