570 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



THE SAND-EEL (f<w. hvittouisen or tobiskungen). 

 AMMODTTES LAXCEOLATUS. 



Plate XXIII, 



4 and Fig. 135. 



Upper jnw not at aU {or only slit/]ith/) protruslle: nasal processes of the interwa.rillari/ hones short — measuring 

 about 11 — IS % of the len//tli of the intermaxUlary bones — ((nd more or less firmly united by ligaments to the 

 ethmoid bone. Pectoral fins short, their tip extending scarcely to the perpendicular from the beginning of tlie dorsal 

 fin, and their length being less than that of the lower jaw, less than 46 % of tJiat of the head, and at most 33 % 

 of the distance betiveen the dorsal fin and the tip of the snout. Head of the vomer furnished with two pointed, 

 crooked teeth, diverging at the tip. Dorsal and anal fins with straight margin. A black spot generally visible 



on the middle of the sides of the snout. 



Fig. 135. Ammoilytes lunceotatus, with the body in t 



erse section, a scale, and a head ivitli open mouth, .^fter Bknecke. 



n. l>i: 7; D. 53—59"; .4. 28''— 33; P. 12—14; V. 0; 

 a. .v+l + in + l+:v; Lin. lat. 172—183''; Vert. C,6—C,7. 



Si/n. Enchuluojms No. 7; Klei.n, I. o., p. 5G, tab. XII, fig. 10; 

 Ammoilytes tobiunus, p. p., Swartz, Sccnstx- Zoologi, H. 11, 

 No. 04. 



Ammodi/tes lanceolatus, Lesauv. 1. c; Sdndev., SIcand. Fish.. 

 ed. 1, p. 209, tab. 54; Gthi;, Cat. Brit. Mas., Fish., vol. 

 IV, p. 384; Malmgb., Finl. Fish: (disp. Hels.) p. 32; Coll., 

 Forh. Vid. Selsk. Christ. 1874, Tilla?gsh.. p. 126; ibid. 1879, 

 No. 1, p. (J9 {corr. N. Mag. Naturv. Christ., Bd. 29 (1884), 

 p. 94); Malm, Gl,js, Boh. Fn., p. 500; Winth., Naturh. 

 Tidskr. Kbhvn, ser. 3, vol. XII. p. 35; Bnoke, Fisch., 

 Fischer., Fisch:. 0., W. Preuss., p. 99; MoR., Hist. Nat. 

 Poiss. Fr., torn. Ill, p. 217; Day, Fisli. Gt. Brit., Irel., 

 vol. I, p. 329, tab. XCII, fig. 1; MOb., Hcke, Fisch. Osts., 

 p. 85; LiLLJ., Sl:, Norg. Fisk., vol. II, p. 211. 



Ammodytes tobianus, Cuv., Rigne Aniiii., ed. 2, torn. II, p. 

 360; NiLSs., Prodr. Ichthyol. Scand., p. 63; Ekstb., Vet.- 

 Akad. Handl. 1834, p. G7; Kr., Danm. Fiske, vol. Ill, p. 

 575; NiLss., Ska7id. Fn., Fisl:, p. 653. 



The Saiid-Eel i.s the largest Scaiidiiiaviaii species 

 of this genus, and attains a, comparatively considerable 



size: Sundevall met with a specimen 32 cm. long; 

 Day gives 33 cm., and Jago (in Ray) 394 mm., ;is 

 tlie maximum length of the species. The ordinary length 

 on our coasts, however, is only 12 — 20 cm. 



The body is elongated, the greatest depth, across 

 the belly, measuring in ordinary cases onh* about 6 or 

 7 % of the length of the body to the end of tlie outer- 

 most caudal rays, though in gravid females the belly 

 is of course deeper. The body is also of nearly uni- 

 form depth, with gradually tapering tail and conical, 

 pointed head, and almo.st terete, the greatest breadtli 

 being usually at least more than 'V4 (81 — 84 ?») of the 

 greatest depth. The compression of the tail is confined 

 to the base of the caudal tin. 



The conical head is also onlj" slightly compi'essed, 

 but tibo^e and on the sides somewhat flattened and 

 smooth, without scales. The depth across the occiput 

 is somewhat less than the greatest depth of the body. 



" Sonictin]e.s 61, according to Gi'NTHER and Moreau. 



'' ,, 26, ,, ,, LlLLJlCBORd. 



' „ 169, ,, ,, Malm. 



„ 203, „ „ Day. 



