WHITINCi 



489 



The pectoral fins lie, when at rest, in a longi- 

 tuclinal direction. Their length is between 11^ and 15 % 

 of that of the body, and their rounded tips extend a 

 good way beliind the vent. They contain 19 or 20 

 rays; the up])erinost ray is simple, the others branched 

 at the tip, and tlie fourth and fifth are the longest. 

 The ventral fins, which are set somewhat in front of 

 the pectoral fins, and extend with their tips to the vent, 

 are small and pointed, with the second ray produced 

 to a long, filamentous, free tip, which gives these fins 

 ;i length of from 9" to 10' /^ % of that of the body. 

 They are made up of two simple and four repeatedly 

 Ijranched rays. 



The first dorsal fin begins just behind the perpen- 

 dicular from the insertion of either pectoral fin and at 

 a distance from the tip of the snout equal to about 

 28 — 31 ?a of the length of the body. It most gener- 

 ally contains 13 or 14 rays, the first two of which are 

 simple and the fourth the longest, its length being 

 about 10 — 12\/2 % of that of the body. The succeeding 

 rays gradually decrease in length, the last ray being 

 very small. The length of the base of this fin is about 

 13 ','2— 11 % of that of the body. The second dorsal 

 fin is composed of about 23 rays, t^vo of which are 

 simple. The fourtli and fifth rays are the longest, their 

 length being about 8 — 10 % (sometimes 11 %) oi that 

 of the body; and the other rays grow gradually shorter, 

 the last ray being very short and lying flat along the 

 sivin. The distance between this fin and the tip of the 

 snout is about 44 or 45 % of the length of the body, 

 and the length of its base varies between IS'/^ and 

 nearly 23 % of that of the body. The third dorsal fin 

 begins at a distance from the tip of the snout ecjual 

 to about 65 — 69 % of the length of the body, just be- 

 liind the end of the preceding fin, to which it is gener- 

 ally united by a narrow flap of fin-membrane. It gener- 

 ally contains 4 simple and 17 branched rays, the first 

 of the simple ones being scarcely perceptible. The fifth 

 and sixth rays are tlie longest, their length being from 

 6'/2 to 8 % (in }'oung specimens sometimes 9 %) of 

 that of the l)ody; and the length of the base of the fin 

 varies betAveen I5V2 '-^^^^ ^^^h ^ o^ ^'I'l^ t)^ the body. 



The first anal fin begins at a distance from the 

 tip of the snout equal to about 35 "^ — 39 % of the 

 length of the Ixnly — thus always considerably in front 



of the beo;innins: of the second dorsal fin. 



It is Ion"- 



" Sometimes 8' n f'- 

 Scaiidiiiacian Fishes. 



Mnd has an arcuate margin. The length of its base 

 is about 30 — 34 % of that of the body. It is gener- 

 ally composed of from 33 to 35 rays, eight or nine of 

 wliich ai-e simple. The 12th — 2()th rays inclusive are 

 of fairly uniform lengtli and tlic longest, measuring 

 about 9 — 7 % of the length of the body; and the suc- 

 ceeding rays grow shorter and shorter. The second anal 

 fin, which is almost exactly opposite the third dorsal, 

 contains 4 simple and (generally) 18 or 19 branched 

 rays, the fifth and sixth rays being the longest. 



The caudal fin, as in all the Gadoid species, con- 

 tains numerous rays, which lie close to each other and 

 radiate from the pointed base of the fin. The middle 

 23 — 25 rays are branched, and the middle ray measures 

 8 — 7 % of the length of the body. The fin is chisel- 

 shaped, with truncate extremity and rather sharj) cor- 

 ners; but when much expanded, the liiiid margin be- 

 comes rounded. 



After death the Ijody of the Whiting is nearly 

 plain, grayish brown above and white below; but liv- 

 ing specimens and Whitings just di'awn out of the water 

 show a play of shifting colours, in spots and stripes. The 

 colour of a middle-aged, live Whiting is fairly accu- 

 rately shown in our figure (Plate XXIV, fig. 1), and we 

 liave nothing more to add than that t\vo specimens are 

 seldom exactly alike in the depth of the colours and 

 the extent of the stripes. In younger specimens the 

 body is more transparent, with the upper part of the 

 sides shading strongly into violet and with fainter 

 traces of the yellowish stripes, which are of a brighter 

 colour, and are woven into a network above the lateral 

 line. The fins are lighter, and all the dorsal and anal 

 fins are silvery white at the very tip. A very large 

 specimen, on the other hand, presents the following 

 appearance: the back and the upper part of the head 

 plain yellowish brown with a handsome, grajash violet 

 lustre; the sides yellowish gray Avith a dash of violet, 

 with the lateral line and the caudal region just above 

 it of a bright brassy lustre, and with a number of 

 large, distinct, brass-yellow spots along and below the 

 lateral line, which are partly united into a network 

 and partly form irregular, zigzag rows; the entire under 

 surface of the head and tail and the whole belly milky 

 white, with a sharply-marked limit extending to the 

 insertion of the pectoral fins. The iris white, with a 

 lustrous, 3^ellowish ling ni'xt tlie pupil and a broad 



62 



