506 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



about 42 — 47 % of the length of the bod_y, and its 

 base measures about 17\,,^ — 20V'2 of the same length. 

 It is generally somewhat lower than the first dorsal 

 fin, and only the first ray is simple. The second and 

 tliird i-ays are tlie longest. The distance between the 

 beginning of the third dorsal fin and the tip of the 

 snout is about 66 — 69 % of the length of the body, 

 and the length of its base about 13 or 14 % thereof. 

 The first three or four rays are simple, and the third, 

 fourth, and fifth the longest, measuring about 10 — 7 % 

 of the lengtli of the body. 



The membrane of the anal fins is also covered 

 \vith scales. The first anal fin begins at a distance 



traces of it are visible, and after death it disappears 

 altogether. All the fins, except the venti'al, are of the 

 broAvn colour of the Ijack, and the dorsal fins are 

 adorned with more or less distinct flame-yellow stripes 

 or spots. The ventral fins, especialh* in young Pol- 

 lacks, are of a bright j'ellowish colour. The lateral line 

 is greenish. The iris is silvery, with a fairly broad, 

 yellowish-ljrown ring surrounding a very narrow, lighter 

 ring which l)ounds the pupil. 



The vent lies at about the middle of the alido- 

 minal cavity. The peritoneum is silverv. The aii-- 

 bladder is very long, longer tlian the abdominal cavity, 

 its hind extremity penetrating into tiie passage formed 



from the tip of tiie snout of between about 36 and by the do^\•nward processes (haemal arches) of the caudal 



nearly 40 % of the length of the body, and its base 

 measures about 30 — 31 ^/^ % thereof. The first six rays 

 are simple, the seventh and eighth the longest, in young- 

 Pollacks about equal in length to the distance between 

 this fin and the ventral fins, in old much less, some- 

 times no more than 11\/., % of the length of the body. 

 The second anal fin is as usual analogous to the third 

 dorsal both in length and in height. Its first four rays 

 are simple, and the fifth rav is the longest. 



The caudal fin is perfectly truncate at the margin 

 when exjjanded, l)ut at other times slightly forked. 



The lenath of its middle ravs is about 7 or 7 



1/ 



of 



that of the body, and always greater than the least 

 deptli of the tail, which measures about 78 — 90 % of 

 the former length. This fin is also entirely covered 

 with fine scales. 



Thouii'h the coloration of the Pollack is highlv 

 variable, it is still to some extent characteristic. The 

 liack is of a dark, olive-brown colour, which is sharply 

 set off by a distinct line of demarcation from the silver- 

 gra-v or !dnminium colour of the belly and sides. This 

 line runs quite straight, as though it were dra^vn with 

 a ruler, from the upper corner of the gill-opening to 

 the bottom of the upper third of the Itase of the caudal 

 fin. The ground-coloiu- is di\ersified by a coarse- 

 UH'shcd, irregular network of a dark, flame-yellow co- 

 lour, which varies in dift'erent specimens, being faint 

 or distinct, continuous or re])laced by spots. As a- 

 rule this network appears in middle-aged specimens as 

 shown in the figure. In young specimens it is much 

 lighter and more distinct, while in older ones only 



vertebra?. With these exceptions there is no difference 

 ^vorthy of mention between the internal oi'gans of this 

 species and those of the preceding one. 



The geographical range of the Pollack is still more 

 restricted than that of the Coalfish. It belongs to the 

 north-east of the Atlantic, and hardly penetrates into 

 the Arctic (_)cean, though solitarv specimens ai-e some- 

 times taken even in \'aranger Fjord and Ox Fjord in 

 the north of Fiiunark. ("ollett places the northern 

 boundary of its true habitat in the neighbourhood of 

 Trondhjem. To the South, hoAvever, there is better 

 evidence of its occurrence than of that of the Coalfish 

 on the coast of the Spanish Peninsula, where Stein- 

 DACHNER found it to be common off Galicia, but rarer 

 on the coast of Portugal. ( )n the Fnglish coast, ac- 

 cording to Buckland", the Pollack is "one of the com- 

 monest fish, and is found on all our coasts where the 

 nature of the ground is suitable to its habits. Its 

 haunts are upon rocky ground, and at no great distance 

 from the land." This statement also apj)lies to every 

 rockv part of the west coast of France; but the Pollack 

 has been observed even on the sandy coast of Holland, 

 though, like the Coalfish, only on rare occasions''. 



On the west coast of Sweden the Pollack is known by 

 several names, e. g. Blaiiksej, SeJIi/ra, Plank, Li/rhkcky 

 Leihleking etc., and in Norway it is called Liji- and 

 Li/rtorsk. It is fairly common on the south coast of 

 Norwav as well as in Bohuslan, in ])art of Halland, 

 and off Kullen. It is taken there plentifully, especially 

 during the summei- months. It is "spread over all the 

 Danish waters," according to Winthek; and is sold in 



« .Xiit. llisl. Di-it. Finh., p. H»0. 



'■ See Van Bemmelen in Hrrklots, Bouustoffen voor ecne Fwtiia i:aii NcderlKtid, Peel. Ill, p. 352. 



