FRECKLKn (iOBY. 



2(k 



form of tlie bofh' witli the sliiillow tiiil, the Iciist 

 deptli oi which x.-irics hotwceii ^ ;iiiil li % of the 

 length of tlu' body, vtv sckloiii mikI (inl\- slightly ex- 

 ceeds this size, and also measures about ',,, of either 

 the distance between the first ray of the first dorsal 

 fin and that of the second, tlie base of the latter fin, 

 or the length of the peduncle of tlie tail, which three 

 measurements, in this species too, are almost alike". 

 The length of the head varies between 21 and 24 % of 

 that (if the body, being greater in the voung specimens 

 and in thos(> fmni the P)altic, and the distance between 

 the first dorsal tin and tlie tip (if the snout varies be- 

 tween 2S and 81 % of the length of the body. The 

 longitudinal diameter of the eyes, which are fairly 

 closely approximating, Init well separated, at the upper 

 surface, is in young specimens about '', of the length 

 of the head, in old about '/-, and only during youth 

 greater tliau tlie least depth of the tail, in older speci- 

 mens less than it. The length of the caudal fin is 

 from 1.5 to 1<S ",j of that of the body. The distance be- 

 tween the anal fin and the tip of the snout varies be- 

 tween 47 and .'iO % of the length of the body (we have 

 found this distance greater in the female than in the 

 male); and the base of the anal fin is generally slightly 

 shorter than that of the second dorsal, measuring be- 

 tween 1') and 17 % of the length of the liody. The 

 scales, which are comparatively small, in adult speci- 

 mens usually number 13 or 14 in an oblique trans- 

 verse row in a posterior direction from the beginning of 

 the anal tin, and about (!() in a longitudinal rovv along 

 the middle of the sides. In young specimens, however, 

 even in those 40 mm. long, there are sometimes only 

 45 scales in the latter row, in which case the difference 

 between Gohius mhmtiis and Goh. mkrops is confined to 

 the deeper tail of the latter. Heinckf. also regarded 

 these Gobies as varieties of one and the same species. 

 The coloration of the Freckled (xoby, with all its 

 variations, is principalh" the same as that of Gohitis 

 microps, and reproduces, though in fainter tints, the 

 handsome markings ])ossessed, according to STEixiiAfii- 

 NEit'', by Gnh. (/it(i(h-iritfatiis. The ground-colour is 

 whitish or grayish yellow, somewhat darker on the 

 back, and dotted with dark brown ehromatophores, which 

 are most closely set in the hind margin of the dorsal 

 scales. Light, selliform spots appear on the dorsal side 



ill this species too, as well as a row of dark spots along 

 the middle of the sides, or small, transverse bands, 

 among which tlie caudal spot, at the base of the caudal 

 fin, should also be included. There sometimes appear 

 too, in this species as in the jireceding ones, two dark 

 bands at each eye, one running from the lower part 

 of the anterior orbital margin in an oblitpie, forward 

 direction along the snout, and the otlier perpendicularly 

 downwards from the middle of the inferior orbital mar- 

 gin. "The belly is white, with a brassy lustre" (Ek- 

 STKOm), this lieiiig due to the circumstance that the 

 mother-of-pearl lustre of the peritoneum shines through. 

 The dorsal and caudal fins are marked in the same 

 wa}- as in the preceding species. "The pectoral fins are 

 grayish yellow, with dai'k rays, and strewn with fine, 

 ferruginous dots" (Eksti!.). The ventral and anal fins 

 in the female are generally white, in the males more 

 or less thickly punctated with black. Sometimes, how- 

 ever, all these colours and markings are fiided. "The 

 whole fish is transparent," says 1'>ksti;(')m, "and there- 

 fore, when it is |)ut in water while still alive, and ex- 

 amined from above, the intestinal tract ap])ears as a 

 large, oval, black spot." 



The geographical range of this fish extends fi'om 

 the Mediterranean, at least as far in as the Adriatic 

 8ea, along the west coast of Europe to the north of 

 Norway, where it lias been found by Kkoyer off" Dyro, 

 in Lat. 69° N., and into the Baltic as far as the Gulf 

 of Finland (Mela), the island-belt of Stockholm (Srxni:- 

 vall), and probably the Gulf of Bothnia as Avell. It 

 lives in water of a depth as great as 12 or even 2t> 

 fathoms (Collett), deepest in winter; but in summer 

 comes u|) near shore into water only a few feet deep 

 (Malji). It prefers a level, sandy bottom, overgrown 

 with seaweed (Ekstij.). The spawning-season occurs in 

 summer from the end of May (Ekstr.) to August (Malm). 

 Its food is generally composed of small crustaceans; 

 and the following statement of ^^'I\TI^■;u with regard 

 to Gobi lis xiicrops, also apjdies to the Freckled Goby. 

 "The mouth is surrounded by fairly well-developed lips; 

 and on the palate, within the intermaxillary bones, we 

 find a narrow, crescent-shaped, transverse, membranous 

 fold (\eluui). .\ similar fold lies immediatel}' below it 

 in the lower jaw. The function of these folds is easih" 

 understood; they operate in the same way as the valves 



" This is tnie, in particular, of tlie specimens from Boliiialan whidi we have been nble to examine. In young specimens and tliosc- 

 from the Baltic, the peduncle of the tail seems generally to be somewhat shorter, but also shallower. 

 * L. c, p. 390, plate II, figs. .3 and 4. 



