278 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



the latter eonsistiiig almost entirely of the above- 

 mentioned spinous ])rocess, and the t'oi-mer resembling 

 a sealene ti-iangle, with its articulation witli the hyo- 

 mandibular bone at the obtuse angle, and with the 

 subopereulum. wliicli is large and tar more like the 

 ordinary operculum in shape, attached to the longest 

 side. The subopereulum thus forms the entire hind 

 margin of the gill-cover. 



Tile Gemnieous Dragonet occurs along the whole 

 west coast of Europe, fi-om tiic simtii of Spain" as far 

 nortli at least as the; neighbourhood of Trondhjeni. It 

 also enters the Sound, where if was observed in 1743 

 b\ LiNx.ELS. It is, however, ^■erv rare there, of some- 

 what more frequent occurrence ofl' Kullcn, and still 

 more common on tlie coasts of Bohusliin and Norway. 

 It is no^\•here found, however, in large numbers, only 

 solitarv individuals beine lakcn during the tisherv for 

 some other species, notablv the Herring. Not a single 

 exception to this rule has been observed even during 

 the spawiiing-seasoii, whence it seems highh' probable 

 that this tish always lives alone or in pairs. The entire 

 foi'ui of the bodv shows tiiat it is a boTtom-tish of 

 sluggish temperament and slow in its movements; and 

 the knowledge we })0ssess of its manner of life, con- 

 rirms this impression. It prefers deep water — the 

 Royal Museum has obtained from the fishermen on the 

 Jutland Reef a female l(i<S mm. long, taken at a depth 

 of between 100 and :200 fathoms — and probably a 

 soft bottom. It is usuallv onh during the spawning- 

 season, which occurs in November and December, that 

 it approaches the shore, and it is most often taken at 

 this period. In Sweden the females are much rarer 

 than the males''. 



Several inductions drawn partlv from its manner 



deavour to attract the attention and fascinate the af- 

 fections of his future mate, much after that manner 

 of courting commonly pursued bv the male birds of 

 the Pheasant family and Callinaceiv usualh' termed 

 "strewing". The female, at first indift'erent, l)ecomes 

 at length evidently dazzled by his resplendent attire 

 and the ])ersistency of his wooing, she rises to meet 

 him, the pair — so far as such a course is practicable 

 with tishes — rush into each others arms, and, witli 

 their ventral areas closely applied, ascend perpendicu- 

 lai'h- towards the surface of the water. In connection 

 with these mananivres, it may safely be predicated that 

 the ova ai'c extruded and fertilised, but in the limited 

 dc])tli of water of an aquarium tank, the matrimonial 

 tour caiuiot, apparently, be sufficiently proLinged to 

 assure tlie consummation of this act; the tish after 

 reaching the surface being projected b^ their previouslv 

 gained impetus slightly above the water, when, falling 

 ajiart. thev sink slowly to the 1)Ott()m. and the process 

 after short iuterxals is i'e])eated.' 



The Dragonets are extraordinarily tenacious of life 

 in comparison with othei- salt-water fishes, and can pre- 

 serve life for lengthy periods out of the water. Their 

 closely covered gill-openings, whic'h help the gills to 

 retain their moisture, and protect them against the 

 effects of immediate contact with the atmosphere, are 

 especially conducive to this result. In s|)ite of its 

 phlegmatic temperament the Dragonet is bv no means 

 clumsy in its mo\ements. "In its resting-place on the 

 bottom," says Couch'', "the size and position of its 

 ventral tins afford it support, ^vhilc, 1)\- a very slight 

 motion in them, it is able to raise itself in an instant 

 for escape, oi- to seize any object it wishes to devour. ' 

 Of the females and vouns' males, which, it is stated. 



of life and partly from its structure, lead us to believe | sometimes seek shelter by burying themselves in the 

 that this fish is monogamous. Savu.le-Kent"', who sand at the bottom ^ Couch remarks, according to Yak- 

 had witnessed the ojieration of si)a\vnhig in an acjua- rell-'': "Thev keep at the l)ottom, among sand or stones, 

 rium, wi'ites as follows: "At such times the male, re- and nc\er I'ise but to ])ass from one station to another, 

 splendent in his bridal livei'A", swims leisurely round which is done with great suddenness and rapidity. They 

 the female, who is reclining on the sand, his opercula j possess great quickness of sight, and dart with swift- 

 abnormally distended, his glittering dorsal fin erect, ! ness when alarmed, though not to a great distance; and 

 and his every effort being concentrated upon the en- I have seen the Sordid Skulpin re])eatedly mount after 



« STEiNDACiiNKii, Stiiber. K. K. Akad. Wiss. Wien, LVII (1868), I, p. 416. 



* It docs not seem to occur in the Mediterranean. Cf. Ni.nni, Atli 1st. Venet., ser. 5, toni. 4, p. 1049. 



' Brit. Mar., Fresliw. Fish., Handb. Gt. Intern. Fisli. Exliili. London 1883. 



•' Hist. Fi.ih. Brit. Isl., vol. II. p. 17.'). 



' L. c, p. 178. 



■^ Bnt. F)W,.. ed. 2, v(d. L p. ;3a:!. 



