314 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



of the body from a length of 95 to 1,410 iiiiii., rela- 

 tively sinks from 23 to 9* j % of the length of the body 

 and the greatest deptli of tlie l)ody from 28^/.^ to lO^'^ 

 % of the length, ^\'hile the length of the tail (the di- 

 stance between the vent and the caudal fin) undergoes 

 even relative increase from 31' 2 to 60 % of that of 

 tlie body — changes which are extremely extraordinary 

 and significant in fishes that, in spite of them, liave 

 attained the typical form of their species. At the same 

 time his measurements show intli\ idual deviations from 

 these rules so marked that none of the ;ibove relations 

 can be employed as a specific character. The number 

 of rays in the dorsal fin of this species is just as irre- 

 gular, varying individually in full-grown specimens be- 



tween 130 and 179, excluding the 5 or 6 rays, the 

 number (^f which is also inconstant, in the anterior 

 division of the fin. 



Such is our knowledge of tlie whole of this family, 

 the natural history of which has hitherto been drawn 

 from specimens usually rare and more or less damaged, 

 of species which are evidently subject to great changes 

 of development and irregular variations, even in their 

 adult form. The family has been divided, however, 

 into three genera", two of which occur within the limits 

 of the Scandinavian fauna, the one furnished with teeth 

 in the jaws and on the vomer, the other probably 

 without any teeth in the mouth, at least in adult spe- 

 cimens. 



Gknus TRACHYPTERUS. 



Tlie sUrery body smooth and even on the sides, but ir'dli spines on tlie lateral line and at the base of the dorsal 

 rai/s. Upper part of the caudal fn erected into a fan, more or less perpendicidar to the longitudinal axis of the 

 bodii, irhile the hnrer part of the tin is stunted. Recurved, pointed teeth scattered on the inner surface of the 

 intermaxillary bones, in the front part of the loirer jaw and on the head of the vomer. Xiimber of rays in the 

 dorsal Jin less than 20(K Branchiostegal rays (I. Bottom of the stomach short. 



Tlie genus of the Vogmar'' or Solv-ijveite' was 

 known to the ancient writers, who trailed it Tmiia''. 

 Neither Artedi nor Linnaeus knew it l)y autopsy; and 

 Gouan' was the first to introduce it into the system 

 of modern times, under the name of Trachypteriis. 

 hnmediately afterwai'ds the Icelandic Dealfish was dis- 

 covered, and in Olafsen's Voyage referred to Artedi's 

 genus Lepturus' , while Brunnich subsequently proposed 

 to refer this species to the Gronovian genus Gymno- 

 gaster'', the name under which this genus was first 

 claimed for the Scandinavian fauna by Nilsson. 



We have already remarked the difliculty of defin- 

 ing the species in tliis genus. Even in Gigliuli s list 



of the forms belonging to the Italian fauna'' there 

 appear se^•en species from the Mediterranean. We 

 should further recognise one distinct species from Ma- 

 deira, one' from the North of the Atlantic and two' 

 from the Pacific Ocean. The nundjer of species has 

 l)een so reduced, however, by E.mery (1. c.) and still 

 further by LCtkex'', that we can now scarcely recognise 

 more than two species as belonging to the basin of 

 the x\tlantic, the northern species, though it attains a 

 greater length, merely representing the earlier (lower) 

 stages in the same course of development as that of 

 the southern. 



" Of one of these genera, Stylophonts, only one specimen is known, which was taken at the beginning of this century between Cuba 

 ami Marliniquc, and is now in the possession of the Britisli Museum. This ger.us is characterized cliiefly by the persistency in this specimen 

 (28 cm. long) of tlio long caudal ray, twice the length of the body, which we have remarked in the larva of Tracliypterus. 



'' Vogmere or VogmaT = maid of the bay (from voj, bay and nupr, maid), according to Oi,.\FSEX, Eeise iyjeriiiem Island (1772), p. 594. 



' This is the name given to the Scandinavian species in the north of Norway. See Lilljeborg, Vet.-Akad. Handl. 1850. The name 

 signilk-s Silvery Halibut. 



'' caivla, Aristot., tcmia, Kondel. 



'' Hisl. Pise. (1770), pp. 104 and 153, Traehiptertis (air). 



f Art., Descr. Upec, p. 111. 



■' Zooplii/L, fasc. I, p. 136. 



'' Espos. Intern. Pcsca, Berliuo 1880, Cat. Sec. Ital.. p. 91. 



' Two, according to Nn.ssoN. 



■' Tlie American Traclii/pieriis altiveliri, Knkr, I. c, and the Australian '/'raclii/pterns (Regalacns) jacl^'-ionieiisi'!, R.\>isay, Proe. Lin. 

 Sue. N. S. Wales, vol. V, p. (;:il, pi. 20. 



* Viil. Meddcl. Xaturli. For., Kblivn 18K1, p. 190. 



