496 



SCANDIXAVIAN FISHES. 



length of the head is between about 22' ^ and 23' ^ % 

 of that of the body. The length of the snout, as in 

 the Bib, measures about 28 — 30 % of that of the head, 

 but is ahvavs at least somewhat less than the longi- 

 tudinal diameter of tlie eyes, though these two mea- 

 surements may approach each other so closely as to 

 represent respectively 6'6 and 6*7 % of the length of 

 the body or 29-6 and 30-1 % of that of the head. The 

 eves are very large, theii* longitudinal diameter varying 

 between about 34 and 30 % of the length of the head. 

 Their position is the same as in the Whiting: but the 

 distance between them is much less than their dia- 

 meter. The nasal cavities lie just in fi-ont of the eyes, 

 and the anterior nostrils are, as it were. cucuUate. The 

 mouth is turned obliquelv upward, but in other re- 

 spects resembles that of the Whiting, though the upper 

 ja^v is not so long in proportion to the lower. The 

 intermaxillarv teeth form a card, Avhich grows narrower 

 behind, and contains teeth of uniform size; but in the 

 outer row we find a few (4 — 6), large, scattered ca- 

 nines, smaller and more scattered than in the Bib. In 

 the under jaw, as in the case of the Bib, there are 

 only two rows of teeth, those in the inner ro^v b(dng 

 larger and more scattered. On the head of the vomer 

 the teeth are set in a curve, or a broad angle, open 

 behind. The tongue is small, sharply rounded, spatu- 

 late. and free onlv at the extreme margin. Under the 

 chin we find a fairly long barbel, which is, hoAvever, 

 shorter than in the Bib. and measures less than the 

 diameter of the eye. The branchiostegal membrane 

 is interiorly rather broad and only slightly incised; 

 the ravs are sometimes 8 in number, but generally, as 

 in most of the Cods, onlv 7. The branchiostegal mem- 

 brane is more rounded on the sides of the head than 

 in the Whiting, with a pointed corner at the top, in 

 which lies the tip of the gill-cover, here almost imper- 

 ceptible, but in the Bib more distinct and pungent. 



The scales are larger than those of the Whiting. 

 Tiiey are imbricate, and set in fairly regular rows, but 

 are looselv attached and deciduous. Thev are thin and 

 -how regular striations. If we begin to count at the 

 \ent, and follow an arcuate row of scales to the lateral 

 line, this row proves to contain about 39 scales. The 

 scales cover half the caudal fin; and very small ones 

 may be found covering the bases of the other vertical 

 fins and the outer surface of the base of the pectoral 

 fins. The lateral line curves distinctly upwards, as in 

 the Whiting, and is of similar structure. 



The vent lies about opposite the beginning of the 

 second dorsal fin, and generally a little behind the end 

 of the first third of the length of the bodj" 



The pectoral fins are pointed, of a lancet shape, and 

 extend a good wav behind the vent, their length being 

 about 15 — 17 % of that of the bodv. They contain 

 2 simple ravs and 15 — 17 branched at the tip. The 

 third and fourth ravs are the longest, the folloAving 

 ones gradually decreasing in length. The ventral fins 

 are set just in front of the perpendicular from the base 

 of the pectoral, are narrow, long, and very pointed, 

 their length being about 11' ^ — 14' ., % of that of the 

 body, and extend behind the vent. They are composed 

 of t) rays, the first two long and simple, with fi-ee tip, 

 the second longest, and the others gradually diminishing 

 in length and branched at the tip. 



The first dorsal fin begins almost vertically above 

 the insertion of the pectoral tins, rises into a triangle 

 Anth rounded apex, and is higher than the second 

 dorsal, its height being greater than its length at the 

 base, and measuring about 14' ^ — 1(3 % of the length 

 of the body, while its length is only 10' ^ — 12 % thereof. 

 It contains 2 or 3 simple, and fi'om 10 to 12 branched 

 rays. The third ray is the longest, the others gradu- 

 ally decreasing in length. The second dorsal fin rises 

 straight up in front and slopes evenly behind. Its 

 length is about 25 — 27 % of the length of the body, and 

 its height about 11^13 % of the latter length. It is 

 made up of 2 simple, and (generally) 1 9 or 20 branched 

 ravs, A\-ith the second ray longest. The third dorsal 

 fin is of the same shape as the second, but much 

 shorter, though sometimes of the same height. It con- 

 tains 3 or 4 simple rays and (generally) 16 or 18 

 branched ones, the first of the latter being the longest 

 ray in the fin. 



The first anal fin is almost exactly analogous to 

 the second dorsal, but is of somewhat greater extent, 

 and in young specimens of somewhat greater, in old 

 of equal or somewhat less height. Its length is about 

 27 — 31 ?», and its height about 13 — 11 % of the length 

 of the body. The anterior corner is also much more 

 rounded, the sixth ray being usually the longest. It 

 is composed of 5 or 6 simple, and (generally) 20 — 23 

 branched rays. The second anal fin is of about the 

 same shape as the third dorsal, which it also resembles 

 almost exactly in other respects. Its length is about 

 18—15' 3 % of that of the body, its height about 8—12 % 

 of the latter length. It contains 3 simple, and (generally) 



