282 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



TuLLBERG and Dr. Tiieel, in n trawl, iit a dejjth of 

 80 or 40 fathoms in Gullmar Fjord. No more northern 

 or Atlantic specimens are known, and Moheau states 

 em[)hatira]ly thnt the species is unknown on the west 

 coast of France. It is probalily a deep-sea fish, too 

 difficult to obtain with ordinary tackle, oi- despised for 

 its small size l)v the fishermen. 



We have every reason to suppose that tlie habits 

 of tlic Lesser Dragonet are almost, if not entirely, the 



same as those of the preceding species. However, we 

 have no trustworthy information as yet on this point. 

 The specimen described l)v Fries was taken in a large 

 Herring-seine, together with several specimens of the 

 Gemmeous Dragonet and a. great quantity of small 

 Herrings. Most of the other examples were taken in 

 a dredge or trawl. Malm's specimen from ^'inga had 

 become entangled in a Flounder-net. 



(Fries, S-Mrrr.) 



I AM. CYCLOPTERID^. 



T>o(hi more or less tadpole-like or hidki/ (irifh short caudal part), anteriorhj terete and posteriorhj compressed. 

 Dorsal ,tin normal or irith the anterior part reduced or overfjroini, composed of Jfexible, bid anteriorly unarticii- 

 latcd rai/s, continuous or divided into tiro parts. Anal fin in structure and extent analoqous to the posterior part 

 of the dorsal fin. The rays of the central fins, six in each fin, form the frameworh of a fieshy sucking- dish. 

 Pectoral fins broad, with the base projecting downwards in front of the rentral sucking-disk. Gill-openings small 

 or narrow. Fourth branchial arch n-ith only one roir of lamelhc, the gill-slit behind it wanting. Six branchio- 

 stegal rays. Air-bladder wanting. Pyloric appendages numerous. Suborbital ring united to the preoperculum by 



an osseous or cartilaginous connexion. Xo palatine or ronicrine teeth. 



I>ike the Dragonets — by the form of the body 

 and the spinous armour of the preoperculum — the 

 ('yclopteridce are also ranged by the form of the body, 

 and further by the broad pectoral fins and the catila- 

 ginous or bony l^i'idge on the cheeks, beside the Cottoid 

 type, and may be regarded as Cottiform Gobioids. Their 

 place among the Acanthopterygians is a low oni', for 

 the skeleton is only slightlv ossified or even cartila- 

 ginous, and the S])inous-rayed pai'ts of tlie fins are but 

 little developed. The scales are also few and iri'egular, 

 entirely \vanting or replaced ])y scattered tuberculated 

 plates or spines on the skin. The jaw-teeth, on the 

 other hand, are numerous, though weak, being cardi- 

 foi-m and simple or tricuspid. The most singular char- 

 acter of these fishes, and tlie one most closely connected 

 witli their manner of life, however, is the metamorpho- 

 sis of the ventral fins into an adhesive dish, l)y means 

 of wiiich the Cyclo])teroids attach themselves to stones 

 or other hard objects at the bottom of the sea. In this 

 round or somewhat oblong disk we find a ring com- 

 posed generally of l.'> distinct, fleshy protuberances, 



tJic first unpaired, each of tlie other lielonging to one 

 of the rays of the ventral fins; and around this ring 

 there is a dermal border. 



The family, which was referred b\ Cuvieu to the 

 Malacopterygians, in his writings bears the name of 

 Discoholes", ''lU also includes the following family. 

 rxiXAPAUTE'' held the same opinion, but changed the 

 name of the family to Cyclopteridw. Ihsso was in all 

 prol)al)ilitv the first to suspect the connexion between 

 these fishes and the Gol:)iomorphs' ; but Ml'ei.er (1. c.) 

 the first to discover in this connexion their true Acan- 

 thopterygian nature. It was Gunther'' who reduced 

 the family to its present limits. These are by no means 

 extensive; for though "24 species, all of northern origin, 

 have been described, and distributed among 5 genera, 

 both these numbers may with good reason be reduced. 



The si)ecies belonging to the Scandinavian fauna 

 may be distrilmted between two genera, Cyclogaster, 

 with one, continuous, dorsal fin, and Cyclopterus, with 

 two dorsal fins, the anterior, however, being gradually 

 covered during growth by the skin. 



" Regne Animal, nouv. ed., tdim- II. p. .".44: Jh'srolioli. MiU,i,., Abb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1844, Physik. Abb., p. If.G. 



'• See Isis, 183;5, p. 1201. 



' Lepadogaster, a meinbcr tit" the following faniiiy, was referred by Risso to (be family Goliioides {Env. M:'r., tonio III, p. 271). 



■' Brit. Mils. Cit. AV.?/,,, %-ol. Ill, p. l.^U, Discoboli. 



