no 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



yat. Hist. Irel., vol. IV, p. 199; Gthr, Vat. Brit. Mas., 



Fish., vol. IV, p. 403; Coll., Forh. Vid. Selsk. Clirist., 1874, 



TilliBgsh., p. 134; ibid. 1870, No. 1, p. 74; Id., N. Mag. 



Naturv. Christ., Bd. 29 (1884), p. 98; Bean, Proc. U. S. 



Nat. Mus., vol. II (1879), p. (53; Winth., Natiirli. Tidskr. 



Kblivn, ser. 3, vol. XII, p. 3G; MoK., Hist. Nat. Poiss., Fi:, 



toni. Ill, p. 287; Jord., Gilb., Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 



16, p. 819: Mela, Vert. Fenn.. p. 303. tab. IX; Day, Fish. 



Ot. Brit.. Irel., vol. II, p. 5, pi. XCIV; Mob., Hcke, Fisch. 



Osts., p. 87; Br.-Goode, Fisher., Fish.-lndustr. U.S., sect. 



I, p. 189, pi. 54; LiLLJ., He, Norg. Fn., Fish:, vol. II, 



p. 282. 

 Hippoglos.iits ina.viituis. Minding, Lehrb. Naturg. Fiscli. (Berlin 



1832), sec. GoTTSCHE, Arch. Naturg. (Wiegm.) 1835 (I, 2) 



1>. 164; Kr., Damn. Fiske, vol. II, p. 381; NiLSS., Skatid. 



Fn., Fisk., p. C31. 

 Ilippoglossus Liniiei, Mal51, Gligs, Boh. Fn., p. 508. 



The Halibut is one of the largest Scandinavian 

 fishes; and small Halibuts are almost rarer than middle- 

 sized ones. Still we must regard as an exception, a 

 marvellous exception — if indeed the statement be un- 

 reservedly to be relied on — the Halil)ut as long as an 

 Ottringshaad (a large fishing-boat), or about 18 ft. in 

 length, whicli is said to have l^een seen in Norwegian 

 Finniark. (~)i,afsex" mentions that he saw a Halibut 

 10 Dan. ft. long in Iceland. (.)ff Lofoden Kroyek saw a 

 specimen slightl}' over 7 Dan. ft. long, which weighed 322 

 lbs., though it was very lean; while the largest speci- 

 men NiLSSON obtnined from Bohusliin was 6 ft. long 

 and weighed only about 187 lbs. The fisherman who 

 sold this fish to Nilsson in the winter of 1832, stated, 

 howe\er, that in the previous winter he had T;iken ;i 

 Halibut ott' tlie Weather Isliiids that weio-hed fi74 11)S. 

 Instances of similar catches ;ire given by A. ])Re.mi;i!'' 

 from Norwegian Finmark. 



The body of the Halibut is more elongated than 

 th:it of anj' of the preceding species, and shar])h- de- 

 crea.ses in de])th, especiallv towards the tail. The 

 clianges of growth, however, involve a considerable 

 difference in this res])ect. In specimens al)out 350 mm. 

 long we have found tlie greatest depth of the body to 

 l)e ;d)oiit 31 % of tiie length, and in specimens between 

 3()0 and 450 mm. long about 33 or 34 % thereof, while 

 in still older specimens the jjroportion sinks again to 

 about 30 or 29 96. In our smallest specimen (a female 

 337 mm. long) the least depth of the tail was 6"8 % 

 of the length of the body, and in a- male 455 mm. long 



7"2 ?6 thereof; but subseijuently this proportion also 

 sitd\S at least below 6 %. We have never found this 

 deptli to exceed 22'/;, % of the greatest depth of the 

 body". In tlie thickness of the body, however, the 

 Halibut surpasses the preceding species. In young spe- 

 cimens, indeed, we may find the greatest thickness of 

 the l)ody to vary between only 20 and 25 % of the 

 greatest de])th; but in old specimens it is greater*'. 

 The thickness is also more symmetrical than in the 

 preceding species, even the blind side being more fleshv, 

 though not so much so as in the next species. 



Tlie head is distinguislied from that of the pre- 

 ceding species by its smoother surface, wliich on the 

 eye side is more evenly rounded, without projecting 

 osseous ridges. In young specimens less than half a 

 metre long its length is about 23 — 25 % of that of the 

 body, while in older specimens this percentage sinks 

 belo^v 20 or even below 17. The superior and inferior 

 profiles meet each other in front at fairly ecpial curves, 

 which are regularly continued back-wards to the dee]j- 

 est i^art of the body, which lies somewhat behind the 

 end of the first tliird of its length, further back in old 

 specimens than in young. In young specimens the lower 

 jaw projects only slightlv beyond the ujiper when the 

 inoutli is closed, in old specimens more; liut the cliin- 

 j)rotuberance is at least visible in voung specimens, 

 while in older ones it is almo.st obliterated. The eves 

 are middle-sized and fairly jirominent, their longitudinal 

 diameter in young sjiecimens measuring 19 or 18 ?6, 

 in old l(i or 15' ^, %, of tlie length of the head. They 

 are set almost in a line with each other, the upiier 

 being only slightly farthei-- back than the lower. In 

 young specimens about 175 mm. long, according to 

 CoLLETT, the breadth of the interorbital space is only 

 half the diameter of the lens, ^vhile in specimens l)e- 

 tween 300 and 400 mm. long, it is al)out half the 

 longitudinal diameter of the eye, and in older .speci- 

 mens may be at least almost equal to the diameter of 

 the eye. The nostrils of the eye side are set fairly close 

 to each other, just in front of and almost at the middle 

 of the line drawn between the anterior margins of the 

 eyes. The anterior nostril, the hind margin of which 

 is pi'olonged into a semitubular dermal flap, is set at 



" Reise igiennem Island, p. 589. 



' (Jin de nordlige Ilivfiskes Fcerd og Vivsen, samt deres Faiigst. 



^ In this point Kroyer's measurements agree with ours. In Bean"s specimen from Unalascha. liowever, the least depth of the tail 

 was nearly 23'/2 °i of the greatest depth of the body. 



'' In one of Kuiiykr's specimens tlie greatest thickness of the body (just behind the eye) is .stated to liave been somewhat more than 

 '/j of its greatest deptli. 



