574 



SC'ANDIXAVIAX FISHES. 



Ammodytes tobianus. Risso, [chth. Aice, ]>. O.'j; Costa. Fn. 



.\'ap., Pesci, Gen. Ammod.. pji. 1 — 10. tub. LI. 

 Ammodytes Siculus, Swainson, Zoo/, fllit.str.. vol. I, tab. G3; 



Bo.vAP., Cat. Met. Pesci Eitr., p. 40; Gtiik, Cat. Brit. Mus., 



Fish., vol. IV, p. 38G; Ann. Mog. Nat. Hist., ser. Ill, vol. 



XX, p. 290; Steind.. Stzber. Akad. Wiss. Wien. Math. Naturw. 



CI., vol. LVII, I (1868) p. 712, tab. II, fig. 3; Gigl., Espos. 



Intern. Pesoa. Bed. 1880, Catal. Sez. Ital., p. 97. 



The chief characteri.stic of this species is the weak 

 development of the scales. Distinct scales occur only 

 on the hind part of tlie tail, and the sides of the body 

 are without the oblique, transverse, dermal folds in 

 which the rest of the scales are hidden in the other t\\o 

 species. To this we may add the apparently charac- 

 teristic shape of the dorsal and anal fins". The former 

 is furnished with two sinuses, one in the front part of 

 the upper margin and one in the hind part thereof; 

 while the anal fin contains one sinus, corresponding to 

 the posterior one in the dorsal fin. In other respects 

 the Smooth Sand-Launce is an intermediate form be- 



tween our utlier two s|.)ecies: tlie |iectoraI tins are sliort 

 as in the Sand-Eel, but the structure of the mouth and 

 of the head of the vomer is the same as in the Sand- 

 Launce. The back is greenish (olive) or bluish. A broad 

 l)and with a strong, silvery lustre extends along tlie 

 whole length of the sides. A Ijlue spot often occurs, 

 according to Mokeac, on the top of the head. The snout 

 is flesh-coloured, according to Costa. Tlie iris is sil- 

 very white. 



According to Guxtheu, ^Ioreau, and Giglioli the 

 Smooth Sand-Launce is the only Mediterranean s})ecies 

 of the genus. Guxthek sttites that in 18G7 Gwyn- 

 Jeffreys took a specimen 15 cm. long in a dredge, off 

 the Shetland Islands, in 80 or 90 fathoms of water. In 

 1858 and with the same tackle Lilljeborg took a spe- 

 cimen 12 '4 cm. long, on a bottom of shell sand, at 

 a depth of about 30 fathoms, off Christiansund in Nor- 

 way. The former specimen had attained the maximum 

 size assi^'ned to the siiecies by Moreau. 



THE SAND-LAUNCE (sw. BL.iioBisEN). 

 AMMODYTES TOBIAXUS. 



Upper jaic protriisUc: nasal jjrocesses of the iittermaxiUarii hones loin/ — )neasitrhi(/ ahout '3 {64 — C>7 %) of the 

 length of the intermaxiUary bones — ami mohile., irifh a //liilii/t/ motion, in the i/roore in the upper snrfaee of the 

 ethmoid ho)ie. Pectoral fins comparatirelt/ loni/, their tip vxteuding distinvthj heliind the perpendicular from the 

 beginning of the dorsal fin, and their Icnr/th being greater than that of tlie loirer jan\ more than 4(! ?« (47 — (lO 

 %) of that of the head, and (d least 37 % {37 — 43 ?o) of tlie distance between the dorsal fin and the tiji of the 

 snout. Mead of the vomer toothless. Dorsal and anal fins of uniform height. 



Fig. 137. Ammodytes tobiainis, witii the body in transverse section, a scale, and a head with opened mm 



After Benecke. 



It l>,: 7; //. (-,1) 55 — 02 (t!4); A. (2G) 29—33; P. 12 — 15; 

 V. 0; C. .r+1 + 13 + l+.r; L. lat. 120 — 145; V<Tt. G2— G3. 



Syn. Enclielyopus No. 6, Klein. 1. e., p. 55, lab. XII, fig. 8 et 9 ; 

 Ammodytes, Art., 1. c; Tlie Launce, Penn., Brit. Zool. 

 (London, Warrington, 177C) vol. Ill, p. 137. 



Ammodytes tobianiis, Lesai'v., 1. c.; Gtue, 1. c, p. 385; 

 Steind., 1. c; Coll., Forb. Vid. Selsk. Christ. 1874, 

 Tilla.'gsh., p. 126; Malm, 6%s, Boh. Fn.. p. 500: Wi.s-- 

 ■jher, 1. c; Bnxke, 1. c., p. 100; Mon., 1. c, p. 218; 

 Day, 1. c. p. 331, tab. XCII, fig. 2: Mon., Hcke, 1. c, 

 p. 86. 



This character is not noticed by Costa, either in his description or figure. 



