710 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



lie smaller, somewhat lighter spots arranged in a net- 1 Halsviken (Wetter, N. W. of ]\Iotala; H. Widegrex), 

 work or scattered. Similar small spots of an oblong i from the River Skeninge (numerous specimens; Dr. 

 shape or even vermiculated also appear on the top of j Cnattingius), from the River Lida in Wester Gothland 



the head and on the cheeks. The most prominent and 

 most persistent jiarts of this design, even in specimens 

 preserved in spirits, are two black markings, the one on 

 the head, the other on the peduncle of the tail. From 

 the anterior margin of the eye a blackish streak runs 

 obliquely downwards to the tip of the snout, and a 

 similar streak often appears behind the eye horizontally 



(J. W. Dalmax), from Lake Wener (183G, ^Mr. Goebel'), 

 from Lake Setter in Nerike (1842, Colonel Axkaksvaud), 

 from Lake Millar off Flottsund (Mescii), from Helene- 

 borg (Liljeholmen), and from Hammarby Lake near 

 Stockholm. Li tlie NorrstrOm (Stockholm) a Spined 

 Loach was taken on the 16th of April, 1846, among spe- 

 cimens of the Smelt. Li 1869 Cedehsthom caught a spe- 



across the temple. At the upper corner of the base of cimen 42 mm. long in the channel oft' Beatelund in the 



the caudal fin (sometimes at the lower corner as well) 

 we find a black spot, edged during life, like the spots 

 in the large, inferior row on the sides of the bod)-, with 

 a lighter colour. These two markings recur, however, 

 though thej' are generally less sharph' defined, in other 

 species of the genus. The fins are more or less trans- 

 parent, with lustrous rays, Avhich in the dorsal and 

 caudal fins, sometimes in the pectoral and anal fins as 

 well, are marked ^\'ith dark spots, distinctly arranged, 

 at least on the first-mentioned fins, in transverse bands. 

 The iris is yellow. 



island-belt of Stockholm, a proof that the Spined Loach 

 can also live in the brackish water of the Baltic. Ce- 

 dersteOm found the Spined Loach especially plentiful in 

 the River Orsunda in Westmanland. Lill.jeborg assigns 

 it to several other localities in Sweden, and surmises 

 with reason that the Spined Loach is fairly common in 

 Scandinavia, though on account of its insignificant size 

 and its manner of concealing itself it easily escapes notice. 

 This is probably true of Finland as well, though both 

 Malmgren and Mela state that the Spined Loach is ex- 

 tremely rare in that country and is known ^vith certainty 



The Spined Loach occurs in the In'ooks, rivers, and i only from the neighbourhood of Viborgand Lake ^'uoxeu. 



lakes of almost all Europe, and is probal)ly spread 

 throughout Northern Asia, except perhaps the colder 

 regions, for according to Schlegel (1. c.) it lives in 

 Japan. Pallas also cjuotes special names for this fish 

 not only from the Ostiacs of Siberia, but also from the 

 Tungs of the River Katunga and Lake Baikal. The Spi- 

 ned Loach goes westward at least to England and Scot- 

 land; but in L-eland, according to Thompson, it is want- 

 ing. Valenciennes knew it as a Spanish species. Ac- 

 cording to Canestrini it also occurs in Sicily. In Scan- 

 dinavia the Spined Loach is common enough in scattered 

 localities in the south and east of Sweden, at least up 

 to Lake Wener and the MiVlar Valley. It seems to be 

 commonest in Oster Gothland and in the basin of Lake 

 Mslar. To the best of our knowledge it is wanting in 

 Halland and Bohusliin", as well as in Norway. It is 

 assigned to the Danish islands of Fiinen, Laaland, and 

 Zealand hj Feddersen, who states that it is especially 

 common in Lake Mariebo (Laaland). The Royal Mu- 

 seum possesses specimens from the River Kopinge in 

 Scania and from JOnkoping (C Sundevall), from Lilla 



The Spined Loach prefers running water, in small 

 streams with a stonj' bottom, where it can conceal itself 

 under the stones, or with a bottom of gravel, sand, or 

 even mud, in whicii it can bury itself with oidy the 

 head visible and ready, when danger threatens, to hide 

 itself entirely or even to creep some distance, burrowing 

 its waj' through the loose ground. The fish also occurs, 

 however, in still water, as we have seen, in lakes and 

 meres with a suitable bottom. It is oftenest found in 

 company, though not in shoals properly so called. It 

 generally lies still; but when disturbed or when shifting 

 its position it is rapid in its movements. Cederstkom 

 saw "tiiese fishes dive into the thick, moist ooze and hide 

 themselves there as speedily as a Sand- Eel plunges into 

 wet sand to conceal itself. When they felt themselves 

 prisoners, they at once bent down the head and pressed 

 the flat part of the cheek firmlv against the skin of my 

 fingers, tluis causing in some instances a slight l)ut 

 disagreeable irritation, most like that of sucking (cupping), 

 on the part of the skin affected." The fisherman may 

 sometimes complain with reason' that "when pursuing 



" Holmberg's stuteniont (^Boh. Hist., Beskr., p. 30) tluit the Spined Loaeh occurs in Kanitvet Mere (Bullar), lias received no subsequent 

 confirmation, according to Malm. See Gbgs, Boh. Fn., p. 569. 



' Tlie Spined Loacli has since been taken in Lake Wener (Hanimarovik), according to Dr. S. W. Tenow, Verml., Dais Ri/ygr. Dj., p. 106. 



' See Lloyd, Scandinavian Adoentuves, voL I, p. 71. On tlie 11th of June, 1858 I took some specimens of this species in the River 

 Motala, not far from its outlet in Lake Roxen. There I was told that the Spined Loach was dreaded "for its bite", which was said to be incurable. 



