464 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



the vertebrae. On the bodies of the vertebra? I^ehincl 

 this point, transverse processes are developed, in front 

 of or above the spot occui)ied by the articular cavity of 

 the ribs, and tlie points of insertion for the ribs (where 

 they are present) are transferred to these processes; 

 while to the ribs or to the processes (in tlie latter case 

 only behind) epiplenral bones are attached. In the anterior 

 part of the body the transverse processes gradually in- 

 crease backwards, both in length and breadth; in the 

 posterior part of the abdominal region they diminish 

 backwards, until they finally curve downwards towards 

 each other, and form the hsemal canal of the caudal 

 region. Below these processes in the abdominal region, 

 and united to their under surface, lies the large air- 

 bladder, the protection of which is the purpose of their 

 advanced development. Underneath tliey ai'e more or 

 less concave; or their margins may be l)ent downA\ards, 

 as in the Arctic GcuIks navafia, and united into a tube, 

 closed on the outside. In this case a cucullate process 

 of the air-bladder forces its waj- into each of the tubes, 

 "foreshowing, as it were," says Owen", "the pneumatic 

 bones of the birds." Another osteological characteristic 

 of the Codtishes lies in the circumstance that in the 

 first abdominal vertebrji?, tlie foremost of ^\■hich is often 

 closely united to the occipital part of the head, the 

 neural spines are longer than in the following vertebra?, 

 while in most fishes they are shorter. The Codfishes 

 have another remarkable characteristic — the first rays 

 of the anal fin (sometimes the whole of the first anal 

 fin) are set under the abdominal cavity, their inter- 



ha'mal spines lying loose among the ventral muscles, in- 

 stead of joining the hu>mal spines of the caudal vertebra'. 

 The Scandinavian fauna comprises the following 

 genera of the Gadoid family: 



I: Three dorsal fins and two anal fins Ticniis Gculni<. 



II: Two dorsal fins and one anal fin: 



A : Anterior dorsal fin fully developed : 

 a: Posterior doisal fin and anal fin 

 incised at the margin, and thus 

 divided into an anterior, arcuate 

 or rather straight part and a pos- 

 terior, more lobate division. No 



barbels under the chin. (ienus Merlucius. 



h: Posterior dorsal fin and anal fin of 

 more uniform height throughout, 

 without incision at the margin. 

 Chin furnished with a barbel: 

 «: Ventral fins normal, with se- 

 veral rays: 



act: Canine teeth interspersed 

 among the jaw-teeth and 



the vomerine teeth Genus Molua. 



(ifi: -Taw-teeth and vomerine 

 teeth of uniform size and 



small Genus Lotta. 



fl: Ventral fins apparently one- 

 rayed, filamentous, and branched 



at tlie tip Genus 



B: Anterior dorsal fin broken up into 



free, filamentous rays.. Genus 



C: Anterior dorsal fin rudimentary, with 



only 3 rays Genus 



III: One dorsal fin and one anal fin Genus 



Pliycis. 



Onos. 



Raniceps. 

 Brosmius. 



Note. Divisions I, a, a, (i, D, U, and III are regarded by 

 some writers as distinct subfamilies: Gadina, Merluciituv, Lotince, 

 J'hi/cince, MotelUnw, Ranicipitincv, and Brosmiince, corresponding to 

 the genera recognised by Fries in the 1st edition of this worl\. 



Genus GADUS. 



Three dorsal fins, all fidhi rleveJoped, (lud tiro anal fits. Fedmuic {finless part) of the tail distinctly marked off. 

 Ventral fins nonnal, irifJi fl rai/s. J((ir-teeth and vomerine teeth present. BrancJiioster/al rays 7. 



Klein', who gave the genus the name of Callarias, 

 \vas the first to characterize it with the limitations ad- 

 opted above; but this was prior to the introduction of 

 the Linniiian nomenclature. Artedi'' had previously 

 used the name which is now current, but with a wider 



application, comprising all the species of the Cod-family 

 then known. 



Fifteen or sixteen existing species of this genus 

 are indubitably known'', all of them belonging to the 

 Northern Hemisphere. Though distinctly marine fishes, 



" Aiiat. of Vevtebmtes, vol. I, \<. 38. 



"Ad Vallariax iinlhini alium, com jirobatissimis antoribns, adniittinuis pisceni, nisi qui dort'iim habct tripterygium.^^ Hist. Fisc. 

 Miss. V, p. 5. 



" Gen. Pise, p. 19. 



'' GOnthku adopts and characterizes 18 species in bis Catalogue; but of this number Gadus macrocephalus ^= G. callarias, G. eiuri- 

 nus = G. merlniigus, (1. fabricii = G. saida, and G. 2>i'odiicttts = a species of Merlucius. Gadus ogak, from Greenland, on the other hand, 

 seems easy to distinguish from (?. callarias, while Gadicidus argenteus, from the Mediterranean, the Bay of Biscay, and the Faroe Islands, 

 has recentlv been shown to bo a trui- Gadus. 



