)fir, 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



seems highly probable — is a point on which we can 

 offer no evidence: it has not been found tliere by any 

 of the Swedish expeditions. In the I'^ast Atlantic it is 

 common south to the Shetlaiid Islands, a little less so 

 off the Orkneys, and occurs at least on the coast of 

 ^'orksliire, according to Day; but wliether it has really 

 been I'ouiid on the Irish coast, is doubtful. Thus tlie 

 limits of its range lie here, as Bkown-Goodf, lias re- 

 marked, between about 80° and 5.5° N. hit. On the 

 coast of Sweden it has been met witii off RohusIiVn 

 alone, to which locality it was assigned by Eitpiirasen, 

 but oidy as rare. Mr. C. A. Hansson has forwarded 

 to the Rova-1 Museum a specimen 5 dm. long that was 

 taken off HokO in August, 18<SS. During thirty years 

 Mai-.m obtained oidy tlu'ee specimens on the coast of 

 Bohusliln. One of these, a specimen ?>6 cm. in length, 

 was taken al)out 6 miles west of Vinga, tlie most 

 southern latitude at which this tish has y(>t been found 

 in Sweden. Kuoyer records an observation made by 

 1)(»IE according to which the species has been taken oft" 

 Ferringso on the west coast of Jutland. 



The Torsk is, therefore, a iiortliei'n deep-sea fish, 

 tiiough it cannot I'ank as one of the most jirominent 

 of these forms. According to Malm it is found on the 

 coast of Bohuslan oidy "on a firm bottom in deep water, 

 lietween 30 and 80 fathoms in depth." The most pro- 

 ductive fishing-baidvs on the Norwegian coast lie in 

 aliout 100 — 200 fathoms of water, and here the Torsk 

 li\cs in the coral-groves (Gorgonife). The English A'wvV//?/ 

 Ernnil Ex])edition found the species in Faroe Channel 

 at a depth of 580 fathoins. After violent storms the 

 Toi'sk is often cast ashoi-e or seen drifting helplessly 

 al)out at the surface, like so many othei' deep-sea fishes, 

 when from some cause or other they have ascended 

 higher than the level to which they are accustomed, 

 and been carried up with too great velocity to permit 

 of tiieii' adaptitig their specific gravity to the new ccni- 

 ditions. Stkom wi-ites on this point: "Besides it is known 

 ihat the Toi-sk has a nuicli weaker head than other 

 fishes, and is, tiierefore, easily thrown into a, swoon. 

 Thus, during a violent storm oi- a so-called (/iokikI- 



sicel! it may be often seen lying in a stupor at the 

 surface, and on this account such weather is known 

 here as Brosmc-For (Torsk fare, i. e. \veathei')." 



In Scandinavian waters the Torsk is never taken 

 in sufficient quantitv to rank l)eside the large catches 

 of Cod. But that this s])ecies is also gregarious appears 

 from BR()WX-(io()i)E's statement, foi- example, that one 

 single P. )vincet.own-firm has taken al)out (10,000 lbs. 

 of Torsk in one 3^ear. 



This fish is cauglit ■with long-lines and h.and-lines. 

 When it feels that it is a. prisoner, it is said, like the 

 Eel, to coil itself round any object within its i-each, 

 and is sometimes extremely difficult to draw up. The 

 hook is liaited witli Herring, or mussel and other shell- 

 fish. Tlie stomacli of the Torsk, howe\-er, most often 

 contains crusta.c(>ans, which tlnis seem to lie its jji'in- 

 cipal food. In most cases, liowever, the stomach, einjity 

 and turned inside out, hangs from the mouth like a 

 red bladder, in tliose specimens which are suddenly 

 drawn up from great depths. 



Early in the year, says Faber, the Torsk makes 

 its wav towards tlie land, off Iccdand even in .Tanuary, 

 and stays tlu're in company with tlie Five-Bearded 

 liockling. Late in summer it returns out to sea. The 

 spawning-season occurs in April and May, according 

 to Faber and Kkoyer as well. This statement is 

 also borne out- l)y the fact we have noticed above, 

 that in the antunui an adult female had rather small 

 ovaries. 



Its qualities as an article of food are disputed, but 

 are at least not much inferior to those; of the Cod. 

 "Its flesh is firm, white, and of good flavour," writes 

 Eupiirases, "but I'ather fat" (others find it too hard) 

 "and has some similarity in taste to lobster or crab, 

 wliich aiumals undoubtedly form the chief portion of 

 its food." In Noi-way it is not only consumed fresh, 

 but also cured in the form of stockfish, and round fish, 

 among which it is exported to other parts of the world. 

 The roe is good; and the liver j'ields a fine oil, which, 

 according to Faber, is an efficacious reined)' {ov bui-ns 

 and rheumatism. 



