548 



SCANDINAVIAN^ FISHES. 



the Fisheries Commission of the United States in the 

 s;ime resion "outside the 100-fathonis line." 



That the Four-Bearded Kockling is reallj' a deep- 

 sea iish, appears from the comparatively large size of 

 its eyes; but it is now and then caught on Cod-lines 

 and in shallow water, sometimes no more than 8 or 10 

 fathoms deep. Its stomach and intestine have been 

 found to contain crustaceans (Cuma, Idothea, Ponto- 



with rather more developed ovaries. To judge by these 

 two specimens, the spawning-season occurs during sum- 

 mer or at the beginning of autumn. 



The habits of the older specimens are but little 

 known; but Edwaud kept five specimens of the fry in 

 the Couchia-stage alive in an aquarium for a- week. At 

 first they were peaceably disposed among themselves, 

 but joined in fiercely attacking a Goby that was their 



porcla, CraHfjon, Palcemoii), Annelids {Polynoe), and mol- I fellow-prisoner; and when it was dead, they turned upon 



lusks {XKCula). Its food thus shows that it keeps to 

 the bottom and among seaweed. Its spawning-season 

 is not known with certainty; but the female, 312 mm. 

 long, which has been the original of our figure, was 

 taken by Mr. C. A. Hansson off StrOmstad in July, 

 1889, and was full of roe, though this was still firm. 

 I^arnell's specimen was a female caught in June, and 



each other. Edward also observed that they never 

 raised the first ray of the first dorsal fin, l)ut that, 

 when the other fins were at rest, the filamentous rays 

 of this fin kept uji a continual vil)ration, which in- 

 stantly ceased when the fish Avas frightened. The rostral 

 barbel evidently served as a special organ of touch, and 

 could be lengthened or shortened at will. 



THE NORTHERN ROCKLING (sw. nohdiska SKAELANGA^). 

 ONOS SEPTENTKIONALIS. 



Fig. 130. 



At least 11 harhels: one at each anterior nostril, a pair on the tip of the snout, three, short, lohate ones, the hind- 

 most only taherculate, on each side behind this pair, in the dermal fold that runs forward from the loiver pre- 

 (irbital marfjiit, and one under the chin. Length of tlie Itcad in adult specimens nearly 25 % of that of the body. 

 Longitudinal diameter of the eyes in full-grown specimens less than 30 % of the postorbital length of the head, 

 this lengtJi being about equal to the distance from tlte tip of the snout to the hind extremity of the maxillary 

 bones, but less than the lengtli of the loirer j((w, which is more than half tliat <f tlte head. Least depth of the 

 tail less than SO % of the depth of the body at the beginning (f the anal fin. 



liT^ ^"^ " -. I. 



> 



■^ar 



--i;v£:;i^KSfe33iK^i <S'v^>-J--- ' 



Fig. 130. Oiio.s septentn'oiialis frcmi Florij (Xoiway). Natural size. Sfieciiucn beloni;iiig' lo tbt Miisoiuii cf Clirisliaiiia University. 



7?. bi: 7: J}. 40—53: A. 41—43: F. 1.1 — 10; V. 7; U. 

 •28—30. 



'Si/ii. Motella seplentrionaJis, Coi.i.., Atm., Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. IV, 

 vol. XV, p. 82: Forh. ViJ. Solsk. Cliri.'st. 1874, Tilhcgsli., 

 ].. 117. tab. II: ibi,l. 1878, N... 4, p. 20: ibid. 1879, No. 

 1, p. (58; Id. {Olios), X. Nordh. E-vped., Z<wl., Fisk-e, p. 

 138, tab. IV, fi-rg. 35 et 3i;; Ltkn {Motella), Vid. Meddcd. 

 Natinb. For. Kbbvn 1881, ji. 234; Stoum, N. Vid. Selsk. 



Skr. Trondlij. 1883, p. 30; Coi.i,. (Onos), N. Mag. Natiirv. 

 Cbrist., Bd. 29 (1884), p. 80; Lii.u., Sc. A'orff. Fisk., 

 vol. II, p. 172. 



The Xorthcru Kockling is known almost exclusively 

 through Collett's researches, iuul, up to the present 

 at least, milv comparalively small specimens have been 

 foiuid. The largest specimen known is only 174 mm. 



