COAI.FISU. 



501 



slightly more than 5 % of its length. Tlie hack as well 

 as the belly is ratlier thick and convex throvighont its 

 length. 



The head is of" a pointed, cuneit'orni shape and 

 middle-sized, its length being in young Coaltish about 

 26 %, in adult ones 24— '23\'2 %, of the length of the 

 body. In young specimens the eyes are fairly large, 

 measuring nearly '4 of the length of the head, Ijut in 

 older ones this proportion sinks almost to \. They 

 are set so high that the line di"awn from the tip of tlie 

 snout to the middle of the caudal tin cuts the eye into 

 two equal parts. The distance between the eyes, which 

 is about 7 % of the length of the body, may be equal 

 in young specimens to the length of the snout; but in 

 older specimens the distance between the eye and the 

 tip of the snout grows distinctly longer, though it never 

 exceeds ^ ^ of the least breadth of the interorbital 

 space. The nasal cavities — each Avith its pair of round 

 nostrils set close to each other, the posterior larger than 

 the anterior, which is slightly cucullate — lie in young 

 Coalfish twice, in older ones nearly three times, as far 

 from the tip of the snout as from the eye. The mouth 

 is only slightly cleft. The jaws are of almost the same 

 length in young Coallish, but during growth the tip of 

 the loAver jaw advances more and more. In full-grown 

 Coaltish there is generally no barbel under the chin, 

 but in young specimens, and sometimes in old, hei'e as 

 in the Whiting, a small barbel is present (see Day's 

 figure for example). The teeth in the maxillary cards 

 are small and of almost uniform size, those in the outer- 

 most roAv being slightly larger than the rest. In the 

 lo\ver jaw they are set in two rows in front and in one 

 behind. On the head of the vomer there are two rows, 

 set in an obtuse angle open behind. The gill-covers 

 are sm(3oth, \\\\\\ the several bones so closely united 

 that they apparently form a single whole: t!ie margin 

 is rounded and smooth. The operculum has a l)lunt 

 tip, set high above the l)ase of the pectoral tin. The 

 gill-openings are large. A broad strip of the bran- 

 chiostegal membrane of one side of the body is united 

 to that of the other side, Iving across the isthmus, but 

 not attached to the latter. The gill-rakers are pectinal 

 in the outer roAv on the first branchial arch, in the 

 other rows more tubercular and scattered, though rather 

 high. The tongue is smooth and white, with dark 

 edges and broad tip. 



The body, cheeks, and face, and the bases of the 

 fin-ravs are covered with fine, imbricated scales. The 



lateral line is almost straight, begins at the upper mar- 

 gin of the gill-ojjening, slopes slightly downward along 

 the bod}-, and advances along the middle of the sides 

 of the tail. 



The vent lies at a distance from the tip of the 

 snout equal to about 36 — 39 % of the length of the body. 



The first dorsal fin is, as usual, short and in front 

 high \\\\\\ rounded corner. Its base measures about lO'/g 

 — 13 % of the length of the ])ody, and its height about 

 9 '4 — 12 % thereof. It begins about half-way between 

 the perpendiculars from the insertion of the ventral fins 

 and from the anal apertui-e, at a distance fi-om the tip 

 of the snout measuring between about 32 % (sometimes 

 30"2 %) and 33 % of the length of the body. It usually 

 contains 12 or 13 rays, the first two simple, the others 

 branclied at the tip. The second and longest dorsal fin, 

 the base of which measures about 19 — 21' 2 % of the 

 length of the body, is highest in front, sometimes even 

 iiigher than the preceding fin, and veiy sloping. It begins 

 in young Coalfish almost vertically above the beginning 

 of the first anal fin, in older specimens a little farther 

 back. It is usually made up of 20 rays, the first two 

 simple, the others branched. The third dorsal fin re- 

 sembles the second in shape, but is much shorter, its 

 base measuring about 13 or 14 % of the length of the 

 body, and much lower, its height being about 6 or 7 % 

 of the length of the body. It is also composed in most 

 cases of 20 ra}s, the first three of which are sim])le. 



The first anal fin resembles the second dorsal, and 

 the distance bet-\\'een it and the tip of the snout is 

 about 42 — 44 % of the length of the body. The length 

 of its base, which relatively decreases during growth, 

 measures about 32 — 27 % of that of the body. It 

 usually contains 25 — 27 rays, the first five simple and 

 shorter than the sixth, which is the longest and, like 

 the following rays, branched at the tip. The second 

 anal fin is analogous to the third dorsal, and is gener- 

 ally composed of 21 or 22 rays, the first three 

 simple and shorter than the fourth, which is longest 

 and, like the rest, branched at the tip. 



The caudal fin is deeply forked, with pointed lobes. 

 The length of its middle rays is only slightly more 

 than, or even equal to. the least depth of the tail. 



The pectoral fins, the length of which is about 

 14 — 13 % of that of the body, are set high and obli- 

 quely pointed, but rounded at the tip. They are made 

 up of about 20 rays, the uppermost two simple. The 

 ventral fins are very small, their length being about 



