512 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



large eyes, like the j>receding species, Oiot-pauJ, and in 

 Trondhjem Fjord Bldgunnar. Even externally, in the 

 shortness of the anterior dorsal fins, the great distance 

 of these fins from each otlier and from the third dorsal 

 liii, and the great length of the first anal fin, it differs 

 so considerably from the other species of the genus tliat 

 it seems worthv of the rank of a distinct subgenus. In 

 the internal organs ^ve have abo\'e remai'ked the pecu- 

 liarity that tlie Poutassou has no pyloric appendages, 

 to which we may add that, like the preceding species, 

 it has only one lobe in the liver. Still, the external 

 differences are not so great as to find expression in 

 rhe formula of the fin-rays; and as to the comparative 

 ■-iornificance of the internal differences, Gadiis Esmarhii 

 forms a distinct link between the Poutassou and the 

 other species of the genus, at least in the reduction 

 of the liver. 



The body of the Poutassou is rather elongated, the 

 iireatest depth of the body in }oung specimens about 

 1 dm. long being sometimes only l.S or 14 % of its 

 length, while in gravid females aliout 4 dm. long it may 

 be as much as 19 ?o thereof. The greatest thickness of 

 the body is al)out 9 or 10 % of its length. The l)ack 

 is almost abruptly rounded at the top. The sides of 

 the liod}' are flat, and converge towards the ventral 

 margin, which however is flat. The least depth of the 

 body increases with age from about 4^3 to 5V3 ?& of 

 its length. The relation of the anterior parts of the 

 dorsal and ventral profiles to each other varies accord- 

 ing to the degree of tension of the dorsal muscles, in this 

 species as in the {jreceding one. Sometimes, when the 

 <lorsal muscles are strongly contracted, the dorsal pro- 

 file in front of the first dorsal fin runs almost straight 

 out to the tip of the snout, while the ventral })rofile is 

 arched upwards, and the cleft of the mouth also turned 

 more sharply upwards than at other times. Sometimes, 

 on the other hand, the dorsal profile curves slowly, but 

 uniformly, downwards to the very tip of the snout. 



The length of the head varies between about 24 

 and 23 % of that of tlie body, and the longitudinal 

 diameter of the eyes, which are rather large, is about 

 '/^ (26 — 24 %) of the former length. The position of 

 the eyes is such that tiie length of the snout, which 

 increases even relatively with age, measui-es about 29 — 

 33 % of that of tlie head, while the postorbital length 

 of the head, which relatively decreases during growth, 

 measures about 46 — 40 % of the total length thereof. 

 The nostrils lie as in the preceding species. The max- 



illary bones resemble tliose of (iadus Esmarkii, ex- 

 tending back below the eyes in this species, too, for 

 about a third of the lengtli of the latter; and the di- 

 stance l)etween the tip of the snout and the hind ex- 

 tremity of the maxillary l)ones varies between about 11 

 and lO'/j % of the length of the body, 80 (sometimes 

 76) and HI' ^ 96 of the length of the lower jaw, or 

 (individualh) aliout 41 and 46 % of the length of the 

 head. The lower jaw projects only slightly, and rises at 

 an angle of about 30°. Its length is about 137,-13% 

 of that of the body or 57 — 56 % (sometimes 54 %) of 

 that of the head. On the intermaxillary bones we find 

 an outer row of large teeth and an inner row of ex- 

 tremelv small ones. The under-jaw contains only one 

 row, answering to tiie larger row on the intermaxillary 

 bones. ( hi each side of the crescent-shaped head of the 

 vomer there are 1 — 3 teeth, equal in size to the teeth 

 of the lower jaw; and sometimes, it is said, ^ve may 

 find one or two teeth between these teeth or groups of 

 teeth. All the teeth are sharply pointed and recurved. 

 The opercula are elongated into a short flap that ends 

 just above the insertion of the pectoral fins. The bran- 

 chiostegal membranes are as usual united to each other. 

 The tongue is fleshv and pointed, ivith free tip. 



The pectoral fins ;ire obliquely pointed, and longer 

 than in the Coalfish and Pollack, Init shorter than in 

 Gadifs Esmarkii, their length ])eing about 14 or 15 % 

 of that of the body. The uppermost two raj's are simple, 

 the fourth ray the longest. The ventral fins are slightly 

 longer than in the Coalfish, their length being about 

 8 % of that of the body, liut the first t^vo, simple rays 

 are elongated into free, though not very long tips. 

 The second rav is the lono'est. These fins are set iust 

 in front of the perpendicular from the insertion of the 

 pectoral fins, at a distance from the lieginning of the 

 anal fin which increases with age from about 10 to 

 13 % of the length of the body. The distance l)etween 

 these fins and the tip of the snout, even in young 

 specimens, is slightly less than the length of the head. 



The first and second dorsal fins are more or less 

 nearly right-angled triangles with the shortest side as 

 base. The first ];)egins at a distance from the tip of 

 the snout measuring about 33 or 34 ?a of the length 

 of the body, and the length of its base is about 7 — 

 8' ., % of the latter. The fii-st two or three rays are 

 simple, and the second ray, sometimes the first, is the 

 longest, its length being about 12'/,,— lO',,, % of that 

 of the l)ody. The distance between the beginning of 



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