H-20 



SCANUIN'AVIAX FISIIE.S. 



No further evidence seems necessary to sViow that Artedi's and 

 LiNN.tus's Faren and Braxnofficka (Blicka, which they erroneously 

 identified with Kondelet's Balkrus) and Linn^us's (not Artedi's) 

 BJorkiia, all belong to the same species. The specific name of fare- 

 mis has consequently as great claims to recognition as ballerus, and 

 lias the advantage, as compared willi the latter, of not being based 

 (HI a fal.se c.xplauation of names already in use. 



TIk' ordinary length of the 'Zope' \s between 20 

 aiul 2.) rm., luit may rise, according to Lilljeborg, to 

 4.") cm., iiickiding the whole caudal tin. 



The body is strongly comjjressed and deep, but 

 more elongated th;in tliat of the Bream, the greatest 

 depth, which occurs at the beginning of the dorsal fin, 

 being about 29 % (27'/,,— 31 %) of the length of the 

 both", measiu'cd to tlie end of the middle caudal rays. 

 Tlie greatest thickness, which lies as a rule across the 

 opercula, is less than \ „, of the greatest depth, and at 

 most half of the length of the head. The least depth 

 of the tail is about 8'., — 8 % of the length of the body. 

 The back, which has only :i faint break at the occiput, 

 then forms a regular curve to the beginning of the dor- 

 sal fin, where it makes a very obtuse angle, and from 

 this |iiiiiit slopes almost in a straiglit line to tlie liase 

 of the I'audal fin. It is moderately compressed, with 

 a faint, convex, longitudinal ridge, esiiecially near tlie 

 dorsal fin. The part between the dorsal and caudal fins 

 is somewhat plumper. The bell}' is of a broad convex 

 shape or flat from the isthmus to the \eiitral fins, from 

 this point to the vent sharjily carinatcd (\\itli the very 

 edge, as in the other ti'ue Aliramidincs, naked, i. e. 

 not co\-ered, although concealed, by the scales at its 

 sides), and then very strongly compressed and thin 

 throughout the length of the base of the anal fin. The 

 ventral profile forms an unbroken curve from the chin 

 to the anal aperture, then runs in a straight line to 

 the end of tlic anal fin. and finally bends slightly in- 

 \vards to the base of the caudal fin. 



Tlie Iiead, the length of which is about 2n — 19 % 

 of that of the body, is comparatively smaller tlian in 

 the jirecediiig .\bramidines. It is pointed, but tlie snout 

 is thick iind liliint, and does not project beyond the 

 tip of the lower jaw. The forehead is broad and con- 

 vex, with straight frontal line and a sliglit slope from 

 the nostrils to the tip of the snout. Tlie breadth of 

 the interorbital space measures about " -, (o9 — a little 

 more than 40 %) of the length of the head. The sides 

 of the liead are so compressed that its greatest thick- 

 ness is equal to the perpendicular drawn through the 

 anterioi' orbital margin. The moutli is not large, but 

 turned sharply upwards and protruded, when the mouth 

 is opened, in a- tubular form. The tinterior margin of 

 the upper jaw is somewhat less prominent than that of 

 the lower, and the length of the upper jaw from the- 

 tip of the snout to the hind extremity of the maxil- 

 laries is in young specimens somewhat greater than 

 that of the snout to the anterior margin of the eyes, 

 in old eijual to, or somewhat less than, the latter, and 

 measures about 28 — 29 % of the length of the head. 

 The lower ja^v is valvular in sliajie, contracted at the 

 liasc, ex|ianded in front; it jioints upwards, and is ar- 

 ticulated in the ]ierpen(licular from the anterior margin 

 of tlie eyes. Its length is as a rule equal to the breadth 

 of the interorbital space. The eyes are rather large, 

 tlieir longitudinal diameter varying in specimens 10 — 

 29 em. long between about 32 and 2(i' „ % of the lengtli 

 of the head. They are set fairly low. the upper mar- 

 gin of the pupil (sometimes of the iris) being toucheil 

 by the line joining the margin of the upper jaw at the 

 ti]i of the snout to the middle of the tail at the base 

 of the caudal fin. The postorbital length of the head 

 measures in young specimens somewhat less than halt 

 its entire length; in old specimens these two measure- 

 ments are equal to each other, and the postorbital part 



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