450 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



obliquely set, being turned upwards at an angle of 

 about forty-five degrees. The teeth arc small, pointed, 

 and set in a fairly dense card on the front of the lower 

 jaw — beyond the tip of the snout ^vhen the mouth is 

 closed — and on tlic intcrmaxilluvy bones. Eacli of 

 these cards narro^vs posteriorly into twt) rows and fi- 

 nallv into one single row. ( )n the liead of the vomer 

 the teeth are (juite as strong, but fewer, sometimes only 

 3 — 6. 'flu' inner transverse folds (vela) differ in de- 

 velopment in different individuals, but ai-e sometimes 

 fairh' broad botli in the up})er ja-\v and the lower. The 

 nostrils are of the same form as in the preceding genus, 

 the anterior round, the posterior oblong and set longi- 

 tudinally. A small process-like Hap is set at tlie iVont 

 margin of the anterior nostril, which is marked in this 

 species by an extraordinarily large, foliate, rounded 

 flap Jaehind. The position of the nostrils is also es- 

 sentially the same as in Bothies, tliough the}' lie farther 

 out on the snout, on the eye side at about its middle; 

 on the l)lind side the anterior nostril lies vertically 

 below the first ray of the dorsal fin. 



Here, too, the anterior rays of the dorsal fin liave 

 a broad, membranous margin, but ai-e pointed at the 

 ti]) and not so deeply branched as in the Brill, the 

 two lateral halves, in the fii'st ray at least, l)eing 

 separated within the obliquelj' transverse, membranous 

 flap. At least the first four rays may be free from 

 each other for the greater part of their length and 

 united by the fin-membrane only at the base. Most 

 of the other rays, except the last 40, are simple or only 

 indistinctly branched. The posterior rays, with the ex- 

 ception of the last two or three, are multifid at the 

 tip. The pcjsterior ends of the dorsal and anal fins pass 

 ()\er to tlie blind side, though without forming any 

 distinct lobes there and witli tlie distance between them 

 e(|ual to 80 % of the least de])th of the long peduncle 

 of tlie tail. In the anal fin the structure of the dorsal 

 fin is repeated, only that most of the rays are distinctly 

 branched and multifid at the tip. The distance between 

 the anal fin and the tip of the snout, in old specimens, 

 measures about 3(3 % of the length of the body. The 

 distance between this fin, as Avell as the dorsal, and 

 the middle of the base of the caudal fin is almost equal 

 to the length of the maxillary bones. The convex hind 

 margin of the caudal fin forms a broad ol)tuse angle 

 at the middle. The ventral fins resemble those of the 

 preceding genus in th(>ir relative position to each other 

 and to the beginning of tlie anal fin; but they are less 



unlike each other in the length of the base. In younger 

 specimens they do not overlap the beginning of the 

 anal fin, but in older ones they extend along the sides 

 thereof. On account of the elongated form of the body 

 their relative size is less, the length of the base of the 

 left ventral fin being in old specimens about 1"^!^ % of 

 the length of the bodA-, of the right ventral fin about 

 G^/g % thereof: the height of each of them is about 

 4^/2 % of the length of the body. The pectoral fins 

 are distinguished from those of the preceding genus 

 by their greater dissimilarity. The pectoral fin of the 

 eye side is of an oblique and rounded, truncate form, 

 the 4th — 6th rays being the longest, the 3rd only 

 slightlv shorter than they, and the 2nd oidy ' „ shorter 

 than the 3rd; the length of the 1st ray is only '/g or 

 Vj of that of the 2nd. The first and second rays are 

 simple, the first also unarticulated, but the other 9 or 

 10 are multifid, with the exception of the last ray, 

 which is bifid. The pectoral fin of the blind side is 

 of a pointed, oval form, the 6th ray being the longest, 

 the 1st half as long as the 2nd, which is about equal 

 in length to the last, the 9th or 10th. The first ray 

 of this fin is also simple and unarticulated, the second 

 and sometimes the third articulated, but simple, the 

 others, except the last, bifid. This fin is furnished with 

 thicker skin, l)ut much shorter than tlie pectoral fin of 

 the eye side, the relative length of both fins diminish- 

 ing slightly with age, and that of the former measur- 

 ing about 6'/., or 6 % of the length of the body, that 

 of the latter about 12 % thereof. The length of the 

 latter fin is also only slightly less than that of the head 

 behind the lower eye. 



The scales are thin, l)ut well-imliricated and rather 

 firmly attached. Those of tlie lilind side are sniootli- 

 margined, those of the eye side densely ciliated on the 

 little patch behind the nucleus, which is surrounded by 

 dense and fine, circular stria% with eccentric extensions 

 in a forward direction, while numerous grooves radiate 

 forward from the same point. The whole body, except 

 the snout, is covei'ed with scales. The intermaxillary 

 bones and the greater part (sometimes the whole) of 

 the lower jaw are naked, but on the hind })art of the 

 latter, just in front of the articulation, ^\■e sometimes 

 find a few small scales. The greater (lower) part of 

 the maxillary bone of the eye side, which is slightly 

 dilated downwards, is also covered with scales. On 

 the blind side the jaw-bones are naked, as well as an 

 oblong longitudinal patch behind the nostrils. All the 



