1024 



SCANDINAVIAN I'lSIIES. 



Tlie Common Eel, witli wliirli most of our readers 

 ai't", MO doubt, familiar, attains a length of about 1 ' ., in. 

 and a weight of about 5, perhayjs 6 kilo." Its ordinary 

 length and weight, liowever, are respectively under 1 m. 

 and 2 kilo. The snake-like body is so terete in front 

 tliat the greatest breadth (thickness) is sometimes equal 

 to the greatest depth, or even (when the branchial ca- 

 vity is distended) greater tiian it; i)ut the former is 

 commonly no more than ^/- or '\ ^ of the latter, and 

 at the termination of the abdominal cavity the body- 

 shows greater and greater lateral compression. The 

 greatest depth, which occurs just in front of the dorsal 

 fin, increases with age in the young, though even at a 

 length of 4'/2 c^™- rt sometimes measures, according to 

 Kroyer, only about 5'/j, % thereof; but the rule is that 

 it subsequently decreases during growth, falling in Eels 

 measuring: 4 — 7 dm. from 7 to fi % of the length of 



lengtli of tlie body increases from about 2'^, to 6'\, dm., 

 tiiat of the head decreases in our specimens from 13 to 

 11 % of the former'', or from about 41 to 36 % of the 

 distance between the dorsal fin and the tip of the snout. 

 But in this respect we iind that older Eels — we can 

 speak here only of females — and certain individuals 

 which it lias lieen proposed to treat as a separate spe- 

 cies or variet-\- Uuturisftis), revert to the juvenile cha- 

 racters, or even exceed the limits of these, the length of 

 the head sometimes measuring 15 % of that of the body 

 or 46 % of the distance between the dorsal tin and the 

 tip of the snout. The form of the head is also highly 

 varial)le, in front more or less conical [acutirostris] or 

 broader and depressed, wedge-shaped (latirostris), and 

 behind more or less tumid, depending partly on the 

 greater or less distension of the branchial cavity, partly 

 (behind the eyes) on the varying development of the 



Fio-. 275. Three varieties of AnguiUa vulgaris. A, Aiiguilla latirostris; J3, Aiigu. inediorostris ; C, Angu. acutirostris 



After BLANCHfcnrf,. 



the body. Still large Eels grow to the thickness of a 

 man's arm. The males seem always to remain smaller 

 than the females, for up to the present large specimens 

 have been found in every instance to be of the latter sex. 

 The head passes so gradually into the rest of the 

 bod}' that the limit between them is externally almost 

 indistinguishable, being indicated only by the position 

 of the small gill-openings, just in front of and partly 

 l)elow the pectoral fins. The size of tlie head is ex- 

 tremely variable. After the larval stage its relative 

 length (to the middle of the anterior margin of the 

 gill-opening) shows the usual diminution. While the 



masticator}' muscles. The usual ]jroportions of the se- 

 veral parts of the head are such that the length of the 

 snout is 20 % or somewhat less (17 %), the longitudinal 

 diameter of the eyes 10 % or somewhat less (in young 

 Eels at least 13 %, in old sometimes 7 %), and the 

 postorbital length about 70 % (varying in individual 

 cases between 68 and 75 ?&')) of the length of the head. 

 The eyes, which are covered with a thin skin that still 

 further enhances the snake-like ap])earance of the Eel, 

 are sometimes set vertically, sometimes rather upturned. 

 Partly in consequence of this variation in the position 

 of the eyes, partly following the alterations of growth, 



" According to the reports made to the Swedish Fisheries Comniissiou of 1881 — 83, the Eel — which occurs in every province of 

 Sweden — attains in Werinlnud, Westmanland, and Westernorrland a length of 5 Sw. ft. (148 cm.) and in the last-mentioned province a weight 

 of 15 Sw. lbs. (G'/j kilo.). According to Desmarest the Eel attains a length of at least 17 dm. and a circumference of at least 3'/2 d™- 



* According to Kroyf.r this percentage sometimes faDs to 10. 



'■ According to Kroyer sometimes nearly 77 %. 



