526 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



THE LING (sw. langan). 

 MOLUA IVrOLVA. 

 Plate XXVI, fig. 2. 



Body elongated, almost Eel-sliaped, the greatest depth heivg about ' u — \g of the length. Least depth of the 

 body {about 4^;^ — 5 % of the length) more than 19 % of the length of the head or than ' 5 of the length of the 

 middle rays of the caudal fn. Total lengtli of the head more than '/., its postorbital length more than ^^q, of 

 the length of the body. Base of the frst dorsal fn more than ^;\a of the lengtJi of the body" or than '/- of the' 

 base of the second dorsal fin, and at least aboat \ 3 greater than the heigltt of the frst dorsal fn. Distance be- 

 tween the beginning of the second dorsal fn and the tip of the snout more than 38 % of the length of the body, 

 and the length (f the base of this fn less than ^., that of the body. Base of the aned fin less than the distance 

 between this fin and the tip of the snout., and at most aboat 40 or 41 "o of the length of the body. Coloration 

 above grayish broirn in old specimens and broirnish red in young, beloir irhite or grayish: outer part of the pec- 

 toral fins yellow: the two dorsal fins and the anal fin witlt a black spot on the posterior p)art. 

 Iris yellow, with a reddish goldoi ring )ie.rt the pupil. 



E. hi: 7: D. l-i*-— 16:60 — 68^ ; A. 57—65''; P. 18— 19^ 

 V. C; C. a.'+24— 30/ + .r; Vert. 64—65. 



•Syn. Asellus lonyus, Schonev., Ichthyol. Slesv. Hoist., p. 18; Molva 

 major, Ciiarleto.n, Oiiom. Zoic, p. 121; Gadiis 'So. 9, .\riT., 

 Gen., p. 22; Si/n., p. .36; Lin.. It. \V<joth., p. 177; Limjue, 

 DUH., Peek., part. II, sect. I, p. 145, tab. XXV, fig. 1. 



Gadus Molva, LiN., Sijst. Nat., ed. X, torn I, p. 254; Fn. 

 Suec, ed. II, p. 11.B; Eetz., Fn. 6'uec. Lin., p. 322; F.\ber, 

 Fisch. JsL, p. 86; Nilss. (Molca), Prodr. Ichth. Scand., 

 p. 45; ScH.\GEESTR. {Gudus), Physiogr. Sallsk. TidsUr., p. 

 302; Parn. {Lota), Mem. Weru. Nat. Hist. Soc, vol. VII, 

 p. 352; Kr., Dunm. Fiske, vol. 2, p. 153; Mgrx, Finl. 

 Fish. (disp. Helsingfors), p. 30; Mor., Hist. Xat. Poiss. 

 Fr., torn. Ill, p. 258; M6b., Hcke, Fisch. Osts.. p. 82. 



Molva vulgaris, Flmng, Brit. Anim., p. 192; Nilss., Skand. 

 Fn., Fish., p. 573; Gthr, Cat. Brit. Mas., Fish., vol. IV, 

 p. 361; Coll., Forli. Vid. Selsk. Christ. 1874, TillEegsh., p. 

 115; N. Mag. Natnrv. Christ., Bd. 29 (1884), p. 84; 

 WiNTH., Naturh. Tidskr. Kbhvii, ser. Ill, vol. XII, p. 32; 

 Day, Fish. Gt. Brit., Irel, vol. I, p. 305. tab. LXXXVI; 

 Mela, Vert. Fenn., p. 302, tab. IX; Storm {Lota), Norsk. 

 Vid. Selsk. Skr. Trondhj. 1883, p. 35; Lillj. {Molca), Sv., 

 Nor<j. Fisk., vol. 2, p. 131: Hansen, Zool. Van., Fiske, 

 p. 81, tab. X, fig. 2. 



Gadus raptor, Nilss., Prodr. Ichth. Scand., p. 46; Schagerstr., 

 1. c. 



Molva Linne'i, Malm, Gb(/s, Boh. Fn., p. 491. 



The common Ling, as hinted above, comes so near 

 the preceding species that a minute description of it is 



hardly necessary. However, il attains a much more 

 considerable size. Even on the coast of Bohuslan and 

 in Christiania Fjord specimens 16 or 17 dm. long may 

 be found. We cannot sa^" whether it Grows inucli 

 larger in other localities; but Pennant's .statement'' that 

 he had been told of a specimen 7 feet (21 dm.) long, 

 has been adopted in literature, and Couch'' had heard 

 of a Ling from the Scilly Islands 124 lbs. (56 kgm.) 

 in Aveight, and thus con.sideral)]y aljove the ordinarv 

 size, a Ling 5' ., ft. long Aveighing only about 70 lbs. 

 (32 kgm.). As a rule too, the body is someAvhat deeper 

 than that of Jlolua dipterygia. a fact which appears 

 most distinctly in the least depth of the tail. But in 

 all other respects the two species are so similar in 

 form that here too we tind the In-eak in the regular 

 backward convergence of the dorsal and ventral lines 

 which coincides with the origin of the last dorsal and 

 anal fins in the Cods, and Avhich we thus have traced 

 from the Hake, with its indication of a division in the 

 posterior dorsal and anal tins, to the Ling, where this 

 indication seems to be entirely wanting. 



The head is distinguished from that of 2Iolua 

 dipterygia partlj- by its somewhat greater length — 



" In young specimens, however, sometimes 

 ' Sometimes 13. 

 70. 

 ■* ,, 66. 



' ' „ 20 or 21. 



^ 38 — 39, according to Lilljeboro. 

 9 Brit. Zool. (1776), tom. Ill, p. 174. 

 * Hist. Fish. Brit. Isl, vol. Ill, p. 92. 



of tlio length of the bodv. 



