KRIKiSS (illHY. 



249 



tlic nunilier of tlie branchiostegal rays, stated at 4, in 

 Goh. Lesneurii, are apparently tlic only characters that 

 distinguish these forms". 



Compared with the l)ody of the Black Goby, that 

 of Gobius Friesii is more elongated and shows stronger 

 lateral corapi'ession. The greatest depth of the body is 

 between ^l,. and V, of the length thereof, and the great- 

 est thickness, across the base of the opercula, is onlj^ 

 " - of tlie former. The least depth in our specimens, 

 which are from 91 to 95 mm. long, is between 7i4 '"^d 

 ' 15 of the length. The lengtli of tlie head is about 

 ' 5 of that of the body. The occiput is flat and with- 

 out au^• middle groove, but relatively narrow. The eyes 

 are very close together at the top, being separated only 

 bv a narrow, bony strip of the forehead. Their longi- 

 tudinal diameter is \ 3 of the length of the head". The 

 mouth is turned somewhat sharply upwards, and the 

 length of the lower jaw is 48 % of that of the head. 

 The lower jaw also projects distinctly beyond the tip 

 of the upper jaw. 



The dermal papilla^ on the head wliich belong to 

 the system of the lateral line, are large and prominent, 

 according to Collett''. They seem to be arranged 

 essentially in the same way as in the preceding species. 

 ( )n the cheeks below the eye four, almost parallel lines 

 run back from the region behind the nostrils; and the 

 two lines on the under surface of the lower jaw bend 

 upwards along the hind margin of the preoperculura, 

 where they extend even farther up than in the pre- 

 ceding species. There is also a perpendicular row along 

 the base of the operculum. Tliis row contains 20 pa- 

 pilla?, and from the twelfth, counting from the top, 

 runs tlie horizontal row to the hind margin of the 

 operculum. On each side of the snout there are two 

 parallel rows in a backward direction from the posterior 

 nostril; but these rows unite between the eyes, and 

 then form two rows, diverging from each other, on the 

 top of the head. There are also two parallel rows in 

 a backward direction from the hind margin of each 



eye; and, lastly, there are short, vertical rows just above 

 the insertion of the pectoral fins. 



The scales on the top of the head behind the eyes 

 are ctenoid and those on the front ])art of the back 

 arc almost as large as those on the u|)per part of the 

 body, which are distinguished from the scales of the 

 preceding species by their greater breadth, the gi'eater 

 number of their fan-like stria; and the weaker bristles 

 at their hind margin. These scales are deciduous. Tiieir 

 number in a transverse row upwards from the beginn- 

 ing of the anal fin is 6, and, according to Coli.ett, in 

 a row along the sides of the body about 25. 



In this species too, the anal papilla is well-devel- 

 oped. 



The two dorsal fins are distinctly separated, even 

 in the male. The distance between the anterior dorsal 

 fin and the tip of the snout is from 25 to 26'/2 % of 

 the length of the body. In this fin are 6 raj^s, the first 

 five being of fairly uniform length (in the female?) or, 

 as in one of our two specimens % the first of all being 

 prolonged into a filament and of about the same length 

 as the head. The distance between the beginning of 

 the first dorsal fin and that of the second is 16 or 17 

 % of the length of the bod}-. The base of the latter 

 fin measures from about 26 to 27V2 ^ of the length 

 of the body, and the base of the anal fin fi-ora 18 to 

 20 % thereof. The mutual position of these fins, as 

 well as their position with regard to the rest of the 

 body, is the same as in the preceding species. In other 

 respects the figure, drawn by v. Wright with his well- 

 known accuracy, shows the form and relative size of 

 these fins as well as of the others; but the small, an- 

 terior, supporting rays at the top and bottom of the 

 caudal fin are not represented in the figure, and the 

 peduncle of the tail thus seems longer than, it is in 

 reality — in both of our specimens it measures only 9'1 % 

 of the length of the body. The number of the simple, 

 sui)porting rays of the caudal fin is 7 above and 6 

 below; while in Fkies's specimen there are 14 branched 



" "II capo e perfettaniente privo di squame", says Casestbini of Gob. Lesueurii. Cf. also Liluebobo (1. c), in wliose male speci- 

 mens, however, the third ray of the first dorsal tiii was elongated, in place of the hair-like elongation of the first ray of this fin in Gob. 

 Lesueurii, according to Canestrixi, and in one of our two specimens of Gob. Friesii. 



* In young specimens the depth is relatively greater than in old, to judge by Collett's specimen, which was 59 ram. long and 10 

 mm. deep, while Fries's specimen was 95 mm. long and 14 mm. deep. 



■■ This is true both of Fries's and Collett's specimens; but in a specimen from Stromstad, sent by Mr. C. A. Hansson, the long! 

 tudinal diameter of the eye is only slightly more than ' , (27'/. "o) of the length of the bead. 



'' In our specimens, in which the epidermis is almost entirely destroyed, they are scarcely visible. 



' This specimen, which was taken out of the gullet of a Cod, though the belly round the vent is damaged, is undoubtedly a male^ 

 as it was possible to extract portions of the testes through the wound thus caused. On the other hand, I have refrained from destroying 

 Fkies's specimen, which, to judge by tlie small size of the anal papilla, is probably a female, in order to decide the question of sex. 



Scandinavian Fiihes. «'* 



