684 



SCAXniNAVIAX FISHKN. 



the tiMiiik is flistiiicth' coiiipn'ssed, and its dc|)tli in- 

 creased b\' two longitudinal dermal folds, one at the 

 middle of tli(! back and one at the middle of the belly, 

 botli of inconstant height and occurrence, tlie former 

 al\va}"S small, but the latter sometimes almost as deep 

 as the bo(l\-. The depth of the body at the middle of 

 the trunk, including these dermal folds, may rise in 

 the females to at least 2"8 % of its length. 



In adult specimens the middle carina of the ])lates 

 on tlie body is extremely indistinct, and the grooves 

 that otherwise radiate (vertically) from this carina, 

 are for tlie most part effaced and exclianged for 

 small, round (H' sfpiare hollows, wiiicli at tlie middle 

 i.if tlic central ])lates of the body, are arranged in 

 vertical rows, a distinct trace being thus left of the 

 original grooves. The hind part of the head, the "fore- 

 head, and the opercula, which are witliout carina', are 

 also punctated more or less irregularly with similar 

 cavities. 



Tlie length of tlie liead in proportion to the length 

 of the liod>' is less here than in any of the other Scan- 

 dinavian 8tjiujnui]un(C. In specimens about 2 dm. long 

 the length of the head may still measure rather more 

 than 6 % (according to Kroyer even 6V2 %) of that 

 of the I)odv; l)ut in older specimens this percentage 

 sinks to 5'/o or even a little less. While this change 

 is taking place, the length of the snout increases from 

 about 41 % to 4GV2 "^ of that of the head, and the 

 longitudinal diameter of the eye decreases from about 

 '/a to about 'Vio of the length of tiie snout. The form 

 of the snout is also remarkable for its fairl}' prominent 

 dorsal margin and broad ossa symplectica, the muzzle, 

 when seen from tlie side, thus showing scarceh' any 

 break from the rest of the head, and also tapering evenly 

 forwards and lieing only slightly turned up at the tip. 

 The least depth of the snout, just behind the articula- 

 tion of the lower ja\v, measures about ' 3 of its length, 

 varying, however, between 30 and 38 % thereof. The 

 tip of the lower jaw falls short of the upper margin 

 of the tip of the sntiut, and in this species as in the 

 pi'eceding and the following ones the length of the 

 lower jaw is about equal to the longitudinal diameter 

 of the eyes. 



The doi'sal tin is of fairh' uniform height, or a 

 little higher at the middle, and its height in proportion 

 to the length of the body is about the same as in the 

 preceding species (al)out 2 %)\ l)ut its base is shorter 

 (about 10 — ll'/a % of the length of the body"), and 

 its position entirely different. In the males the distance 

 between its beginning and tlie tip (jf the snout is about 

 45' — 48 % of the length of the body, in the females 

 52 — 53'/2 % thereof. The vent is also situated far liack, 

 though it lies further forward in relation to the dorsal 

 fin, generally below tiie beginning of the second third 

 thereof. In the males tiie distance between the vent 

 and the tip of the snout is about 48'' — 52 %, in tiie 

 females 55'' — 58 % of the length of the bod}'. These 

 proportions bring about a more striking difference be- 

 tween the sexes, namely that in tiie males of this spe- 

 cies tlie length of the trunk beliind tiie gill-covers is 

 less, in tiie females greater than the length of the tail. 



The coloration of the living fish, according to Fries. 

 is olive-green above, with a dash of yellow below. Tiie 

 sides are inai'ked with rows of numerous, often round, 

 small, bluisii white spots, and the gill-covers are cross- 

 ed by fine streaks of a iiandsome azure blue, which 

 are interrupted by the branchiostegal membrane, but 

 continued a little way along tlie sides of the body. 

 The iris is l)ro\\'nisii red according to Malm, silvery 

 white according to Ekstroii, with tine, gray and coarser, 

 red spots. In coloration the sexes are hardly dis- 

 tinguishable; but according to Ekstrom the colours 

 of the male are darker and dirtier. 



In Sweden the Straight-nosed Pipefish is ipiite as 

 common as the Deep-nosed species, in some localities 

 even commoner; and both species generally occur to- 

 gether. In tlie Baltic this species was known even to 

 AiiTKDi from the coast of Angermanland, and according 

 to Mela it penetrates to the head of the Gulf of Fin- 

 land. On the Norwegian coast it is unknown north of 

 Trondhjem Fjord, luit in tiie south of Norway it is as 

 common as in Sweden. In Kiel Bay, according to 

 HEiNCiiE, it is less common than tiie Dee])-nosed Pipe- 

 fish. On the English coast and the north-west coast 

 of France it seems to be less common than in Scan- 

 dina\ia; liut in the Bay of Biscay, according to Moreai', 



" In the smallest o£ Kr0YEr's specimens, however, Uiis percentage was 12'3. 



'' .\ccording to More.\u, however, 41. 



' This percentage may also occur, however, in females <.f the preceding species, and acconliiig to Moueau it may be 45 in this species. 



'^ According to KhOYER 54. 



