COAI.KISII. 



503 



{Mallofiis rlliiisiis) Miirl Ilerriiii:', the fry of the Cod, 

 and a siii;dl crustacean {Thysavopoda ivcrmis), which 

 according to Saks (Indl)eretning for Aaret 1874) also 

 forms the food of tlie blue whale {Bakrnoptera Sihiuihlii) 

 on the coast of Fininark, seem to guide the wanderings 

 of the Coalfish in search for food. In April it ap- 

 proaches the const of Finmark, and arrives there, saj's 

 CoLLETT, in Mil extremely lean condition, probably after 

 the spawning, but soon puts on tiesh wlien it has 

 feasted a short time on Capelin. There is tumult and 

 disturbance at the surface of the sea wlien tiic shoals 

 of Coalfish chase their prey, witli a S])lashing and lash- 

 ing in the water like the noise of the sharpest hail- 

 storm. In summer the shoals assemble at the spots 

 where the "kril" {Tliysunopoda wermis) are collected 

 hx the ciuTcnts. Sars" describes from eyesight how 

 tlie Coalfish prey upon the Cod fry. '"It was a regular 

 battue, the hunt almost seeming to be pursued in 

 common and on jireconcerted lines. So far as I could 

 judge, the plan was as follows. The Coalfish sur- 

 rounded the fVv on all sides, and by drawing the circle 

 closer and closer drove them together in a dense mass, 

 wliich thcv then proceeded by a sudden manoeuvre to 

 chase uj) to^\•ards the surface. The wretched victims 

 thus found themselves attacked on both sides: under- 

 neath the}- had the voracious Coalfish, which in the 

 excitement of the chase often leapt high out of the 

 water, and above them hovered hundreds of sci'eaming 

 gulls, which with marvellous swiftness and unerring 

 aim watched their time and swooped down at the spots 

 where the Coaltish appeared, to seize their share of the 

 prey. ' The Ccmlfish is just as eager in its pursuit of 

 the Herring; and during the Herring-fishery in Bohus- 

 liin it has been known in its rapacity to rush up on 

 dry land. 



The difference between old and young Coaltish 

 is not confined to the coloration, but also extends to 

 tlieir habits, and the fishermen of all nations have, 

 therefore, given them a number of different names''. 

 Ill Bohusliin the old Coalfish are known as Sej, Grdsej 

 ((iray Coalfish), or Grdsik. At this age they prefer 

 deep water Avith a rockv bottom, and hardly ever come 

 close in shore. The young, which are called SmdspJ 



(Small Coalfisli) and Kdller, choose their haunts in tlie 

 fjords and in shallow \\ater. The whole life of this 

 fish, however, as well as the form of its bodv, is a 

 blending of the characters of the Cod and the Mackerel. 

 Both large and small Coalfish, esjiecially the latter, 

 show traces of the activity of the Mackerel. In sum- 

 mer, among the islands, the j'oung specimens are seldom 

 seen at the bottom, but generally swim in mid-water, 

 roving along the shores in large shoals, especially 

 where there is a current, in wliich case they keep to 

 the surface and often leap high above it. 



In the Cattegat, according to Ekstrom, the Coal- 

 fish spawns in spring, at the end of March or begin- 

 ning of April. In Massachusetts Bay Eakll found the 

 spawning-season to be in November and December. In 

 a female 3 ft. 3 in. long and 23'/, lbs. in weight he 

 estimated the number of the eggs at about 4 million, 

 and in another female '2 ft. 8', 2 in. long and 13 lbs. 

 in weight, at about 2*2 million. In BohuslJin the frv, 

 aliout 60 mm. long, appear along the shores in July; 

 and in May Malm saw a large shoal of Coalfish of the 

 second year, about 2 dm. in length, taken oft' Hellevik- 

 strand. In the stomach of one of these young speci- 

 mens, which was 22 cm. long, he found 77 Herring-fry, 

 each about 40 mm. in length. At the approach of 

 winter the young Coalfish rejiair to deep water. 



The old Coalfish are taken, like the Cod, with 

 hand-lines (dorj) and long-lines and in gill-nets. The 

 young specimens are caught in the seine and, in Nor- 

 way, in the sack-net (Syckenot). a square seine which 

 is allowed to sink, and is drawn straight up by four 

 boats, each wh\\ a line attached to one of the four 

 corners of the net, as soon as the shoal of Coalfish 

 which has been observed, is over it. 



The Coalfish is sometimes salted in the same way 

 as the Cod. but is of less value when cured in this 

 manner. It is generally dried. Tlie voung specimens 

 are eaten fresh, or salted and consumed by the poor. 

 The dried Coalfish which is sold under the name of 

 Stockfish (i. e. dried on poles, stock = stick), is known 

 in the north of Scandinavia as Bofskar, and is prei)ared 

 as follows. The fish is killed and gutted, and then 

 split along the back and belly, so far down towards 



" ludberetiiins: for 1866 og 1867. 



*■ Hardly any fish has borne so many different names according to age and locality. Brown-Goode (1. c.) enumerates 52 different 

 names for tlie Coalfish in various parts of England. In Norway, according to NlLSSO.N, the Coalfish is called Mort until it is 15 cm. long. 

 Pale, while its length is between about 22 and 44 cm. (i. e. in its second and third years); and does not bear the name of Sfj until its 

 fourth year. 



