TADPOLE riSII. 



559 



ore drrato, piniiis ouuii/jiis setaceis, Sihum, Soiulni. [ieskr. 

 part. I, ji. 323; Trifurcated Hake, Pknn., /;,/(. Zool. (1776), 

 toiii. Ill, p. 172, Inb. XXXII. 



Blennius raiiimis, Lin. (p. p.), Syst. Nat., ed. X, torn. I, p. 

 258; Fn. Utiec, ed. II, p. 113; Mull., Zool. JJnn. Prodi:, 

 p. 43; BiiOnn {Gadii.i), Vid. Sel.sk. Skr. Kblivn. purl. XII 

 (1777), p. 291 (cum 2 tab.); MCll., Zool. Dan., vol. II 

 (1788), p. G, tab. XLV; Cuv. (Rantceps), Reijn. Aiiiin., ed. I, 

 torn. II, p. 217; Coll., Forli. Vid. Solsk. Christ., 1874, 

 Tilhfgsh.. p. 125; M.alm, Gbijs, Boh. Fn., p. 408; Winth., 

 Natiirli. Tidsi^r. Kbbvii, wr. 3, \«\. XII, p. 34; Day, Fish. 

 Gt. Brit., Irel., v.d. I, p. 320, tab. XC, fig. 1; Mun., IIcKE, 

 Fiscli. Of^ts., ji. 84; L1LL.J., So., Norg. Fisk., vol. II, p. 195; 

 H.\NSEN, Zool. Dan., Fiske, p. 87, tab. X, fig. 6. 



Blennius /iisctis, MOll., Zool. Dan. Prodr., p. 43 (ex StrOm); 

 Ki!. (Raniceps), Damn. Fi.ike, vol. II, p. 231. 



Gadns fuliginosns, Walb., Sclir. Ges. Nat Fr. Bcrl., vol. V 

 (1784), p. 107. 



Gadns raninus, var. a, tri/urciis, Wau;., Ivhllnjol. Art., part. 

 Ill, p. 139 (ex Penn.); Blennius trifurcatus, Shaw., Gen. 

 Zool., vol. IV, part. I, p. 1 74 (ex Penn.); Gran {Raniceps), 

 Cat. Brit. 3Ius., Fish., vol. IV, p. 3G7; Mon., Hist. Nat. 

 Poiss. Fr., toil). Ill, p. 275. 



Gadus minimus, Walii., /chthijol. .-irt., part. Ill, p. 143 (ex 

 Jagon'e). 



Batracocephahis blennioides, Hollb., Gbgs. Wett., Wilt. Sanih. 

 II. Handl., part. Ill (1819), p. 39 cum tab. 



Raniceps niger, NiLSS., Prodr. Ichthi/ol. Scand., p. 50 : Scha- 

 oerstk., Physiogr. Sallsk. Tidskr., p. 310; Fr., Ekstr., Skand. 

 Fisk., ed. I, p. 92, tab. 21 ; Nilss., Skand. Fn., Fisk., p. 594. 



Ohs. LiNN.EUs's diagnosis evidently refers to this species; but 

 by some mistake or otlier he stated that the fish was a fresh-water 

 species that lived in the lakes of southern Sweden, and was there 

 known by names which show that he confused it with the Burbot. 

 Strum suspected and BrDnnicii corrected this mistake. 



The Tadpole Fish (Sw. Faddtor.^k -= Toad Cod) 

 does not attain any considerable size;, being generally 

 betMeen 20 and '25 cm., and at most 30 cm. long. 

 Wlien seen from al)ove the body is of a marked wedge- 

 shape, tapering in the hind part, which tliiis forms a 

 sharp contrast to the roundisli, broad, depressed head. 

 The body is deepest across the belly at the beginning 

 of the second dorsal tin, from which point it tapers 

 more rapidlv, though only gradually, towards the tail, 

 and more imperceptil)ly towards the head. However, 

 as the width of the lielly depends, as usual, to a great 

 e.\teiit on the quantity of food it contains, or the tu- 

 midity of the organs of generation, it is usually safer 

 to measure tlie depth of the body at the beginning of 

 the anal fin, tliough tliis is not the deepest point. We 

 have found the latter dcptli to measure in young spe- 

 cimens (l)etwccn 6 and (^' ,, cm. long) about 14 % of 

 the length ut the body, and in older specimens (be- 

 tween ir , and 28*3 cm. long) about 18—21 % of 

 this leiigtii. The depth of the tail at the ends of the 

 second dorsal and the anal fins — where scarcely any 



Unless space is lu he found in most specimens — mea- 

 sures about 4 — 4'/„ % of the length of fiie body, and 

 is always less llian th(! longitudinal diameter of the 

 eyes. During the life-time of the fisii the l)ack and 

 the to]) of the liead form a slight and regular convexity, 

 overtopped by the eyes, which are rather prominent. 

 The Iiead is bi'oadcr than the body, its greatest 

 breadlli in young specimens being aljout ^,'3, in old 

 ones alnjut ' ,, of its own length, whicli in the former 

 measures about 2fi or 27 %, in the latter 28 — 'M) % of 

 the total length of tlic Ixuly, or respectively 29 — 31 % 

 and 32 — 33 % of the lengtli of tlic Itody excluding the 

 rauihd lin. 'I'hc eyes are fairly i-ound, their lengtli 

 being only slightly greater than their depth, and tlii-ir 

 longitudinal diameter measuring '/i — ','r, ('t tli'* length 

 of the head. They are turned upwards and set far 

 apart, their longitudinal diameter being only from '/'. 

 to "/j of the least distance between them, which mea- 

 sures between about 9 and 10 % of the length of the 

 body or '/a of tliat of tlie head. They are also set so 

 far forward that the length of the snout varies between 

 about "/a and ', ,, of that of the head l)ehind them. 

 The snout is rounded and very broad, and projects 

 some way beyond the margin of the upper jaw. The 

 nostrils are set obliquely in front of the eyes and nearer 

 to them than to the snout; the posterior is simply a 

 round hole, the anterior raised at the margin into a 

 tube open in front, or with a triangular flap at the 

 hind margin. The lower jaw falls short of the upper 

 in trout, and is furnished with a very short barbel 

 under the chin. The length of the branches of the 

 lower jaw is aI)out 15' ^ — 16'/, % of that of the body. 

 The gape is large and almost circular. When the mouth 

 is open, the wiiole of the branchial arches and of the 

 ])haryngeals is visible. The upper jaw is then protruded 

 only very slightl}-, but the corners of the mouth all 

 the more distinctlv. When the month is clo.sed, both 

 tlie maxillarv Ixmes retire below the labiate dermal 

 fold formed by the lower margin of the snont, and the 

 thick labial skin that forms the corners of the mouth 

 falls into a deep groove above and behind the niaxil- 

 laries. The length of the upper jaw (from the tip of 

 the snout to the hind extremity of the maxillary bones) 

 increases with age from about 14 to nearly 17 * of 

 that of the body. The tongue is thick, but short, carti- 

 laginous, with truncate, rounded tip, the free ])art of 

 which is sonietinu's hardly distinguishable. Both jaws 

 arc furnished with pointed, cardiform teeth in dense. 



