71a 



about 

 nys ; 

 sm.-ill 



( ;in(l 11 ",/' of tijr Irll-tll of Uiv IhkIv. 'I'llC 



• ;ictiiall\ 11 in mimlK'r, lint tlic first twu arc so 

 1,1 tine as to l)c (lifticult of ck'tc'ctioii; the tliini 

 ray is also quite short; tiie fourth ray docs not extend 

 quite to the top of thi' tin and, lii<e the rays in front 

 of it, is sini|ile: the tiftii and sixtii rays are tlic ]on,u- 

 est and, like thr followinu' ones, l)ranelied. 



Tlie anal fin is nuieh sinallei' and generally contains 

 8 or 9 ravs, amoiiii' wiiieli the first branched ray (the 

 3rd or 4t]i from the befjinning) is the longest. 'l"he 

 vent occuiiies tlie same ijosition as in the pret'eding 

 species. 



The cauilal tin is truncate at the hind margin, with 

 ruundcd corners. ( )f its IS articulated raxs the 14 

 uiiddli' ones are ei|ual in lengtli. Ijut the t^vo u|iiierniost 

 and the two lowest somewhat shorter. The outermost 

 of these ra\s above and below is simple, the others are 

 brnm-lied. IJesides these there are a few (piite short, 

 unarticulated, supporting rays. The median length of 

 the fin varies lietwcen aliout ll\/._, and 14 '^^y of that of 

 the bod\' or between (lU and 7."> % of that of the liead. 



The pectoral tins are fairly large — their length 

 greater than the greatest de])th of the body — broad, 

 and rounded, with II — 13 rays (usually 12), among 

 which the first is simple, articulated, and rather short, 

 the others are multifid and deeply branched, tlie second 

 and third lieing the longest, the last two very small 

 and ditiicult to distinguish with accuracy. 



The ventral fins are much smaller than the pec- 

 toral, their length being only slightly greater than the 

 height of the anal fin. They begin almost vertically 

 below the beginning of the dorsal fin, are oval in siiajie, 

 and contain 7 — 9 rays (usually 8), among which the 

 outermost is simple, articulated, and rather short, the 

 others are deeply branched, the innermost two closely 

 united, and the second and third the longest. 



The scales are rather small — in spei-imens 12 cm. 

 long their breadth is less than 1 mm. — and circular, 

 densely set, but not imbricated, numi)ering aliout 15 

 from the lateral line to the dorsal edge. (_)n the fore- 

 part of the bod\-, on the back and Itelly, we find only 

 a few, scattered here and there; on the hind part of the 

 body they aix' firmly inserted and set close together. The 

 lateral line is straight. Neither here nor in the Spined 

 Loach does it pierce any scales. It starts from tlie u]>per 



angle of llie gill-opening and tlien follows the middle 

 of the side. In front it is furnished with distinct, pro- 

 minent pores, but liehiiid these pores become indistinct, 

 being hidden by the scales. 



The coloration is of a fairly bright, grayisli brown 

 with darker, large spots along the back and the latei'al 

 line: but these sjiots are not so distinct and constant 

 as in the Spined l.oach; below the\- ai'e Iiroken up into 

 an inconstant pattern, with \\hich the sides of the body 

 as well as the cheeks are mottled. As a rule we find 

 a black streak on the sides of tlie snout as in the Spined 

 Loach; and an oblong, black spot usually appears at tlie 

 lower corner of the base of the caudal fin; but even 

 these markings are less defined than in the Spined Loach. 

 The dorsal, caudal (soni(!tinies the anal as well), and 

 pectoral fins bear transverse bands of dark spots. Tlie 

 ventral tins as well as the anal fin are in most cases 

 plain, in others marked with a few dark spots. 



The internal organs differ from those of the Spined 

 Loach parth' in the liver being somewhat shorter and 

 behind not divided into lobes but collected in a mass, 

 which envelops the stomach lielow and on the sides, 

 partly in the stomach being furnished with a pyloric part 

 pointing in a forward direction; the intestine also forms 

 a coil, which runs forward l>eside tlie posterior part of 

 the stom;ich. The o\ary is forked in front. 



According to observations made in the vicinity of 

 Kiiopio in Finland and communicated by W. voN Wiught 

 to SrxDEVALL, the Loach is there common'' in streams 

 and brooks with fairly clear water, a graxelly bottom, 

 and a depth uf a foot or twD. It is said to keep close 

 to the bottom and generally to hide under stones, but 

 not to burro\c in the bottom, as the Spined Loach does. 

 In the said localit\' it spawns at tlie beginning of June, 

 about a fortnight after the breaking up of the ice. 

 In Germany, according to Bloch and other writers, it 

 sjiawns ill March and Ajiril, or early in the spring, 

 there as in Finland. Its hal)its are otlierwise not un- 

 like those of the Spined Loach. 



LiNN.«us tells us in the Fauna Siiecica that this 

 species was introduced from Germany into Lake MiUar 

 by King Frekkhiciv I; and tlie lioyal Museum possesses 

 two specimens with no assigned locality, Init marked 

 in the same wav as the other fishes from the ^luseiim 

 of l^rottninaholm, where LiNX.Ki.s examined and de- 



" Sometimes about 8 %, accorJing to Caxestkini's nieasuremem?. 



' According to Qvensel's catalogue one ppeciineii in the Roy.il Museum was taken in 1800 at Ulealioig. Mela also believes that tlu; 

 species occurs iu the extreme north of the Gulf of Hothnia. 



