31 



Praeoperculum bnr 2 Torne, den nederste kort, nedad- 

 rettet, og lidet fremtrædende ; den øverste lang og krog- 

 formigt bøjet iudad, overordentlig spids og stærk, samt fra 

 oven og neden uoget sannnentrykt ; med sin Spidse naar 

 den ikke tilbage til den øvre Flig af Operculum. I fuld- 

 kommen uskadt Stand er denne kloibrmige Torn lige \iå 

 til Spidsen beklædt med Hud, der ganske udfylder dens 

 indre concave Del. Ved Grunden af den store Torn fiudes 

 paa Forsiden en mindre, der dog bos uskadte Individer 

 neppe lader sig iagttage, uden ved Følelsen. Operculum 

 bar en enkelt Torn nedentil, men ender oventil i en blod 

 og afrundet Flig, nedenfor ■ bvilken der skjuler sig en lav, 

 men skarp Torn. Melleni det forreste og bagre Par Næse- 

 bor lindes et Par korte opstaaende Torne. og paa Bag- 

 bovedet et Par lignende, der ere bagudrettede, men som 

 alle ere, ligesom de øvrige Torne, lidet fremtrædende af 

 Huden. 



SkMinie, Porer og Hudtraade. En Kække af 5 — 6 

 Porer strækker sig fi'a det forreste Par Næsebor paa bver 

 Side bagover under Øjet, og standser omtrent ved Bag- 

 kanten af Orbita. Lignende Rækker strække sig paa 

 Undersiden af Underkjæven. 



Sidelinien er bos de yngre lud. dannet af store og aabent- 

 staaende Porer, bvis Antal sjelden overstiger 18, skjønt det 

 ikke altid er det samme paa begge Sider. Hos de ældre Ind. 

 ere Porerne mindre, men deres oprindelige Omkreds kan 

 endnu sees som afbrudte. lidt opbøjede Ringe. Hos Yngel 

 med en Totall. af under 12'""' er Sidelinien endnu usynlig, 

 men allerede, bvor Legemet bar naaet en Længde af 



15'"'", ere omtrent 5 — 6 Porer 

 forreste Del. 



fremkomne paa Legemets 



Af Hudtraade paa Hovedet findes en yderst 

 kort paa Bagranden af Overkjæven, umiddelbart foran 

 Mundvinkeleu, altsaa paa samme Punkt, bvor en lignende 

 er tilstede bos Cottus huhalis og C. liUjehorg/i. Hos alle 

 uskadte Individer lindes endvidere en enkelt Traad ved den 

 øvre Rand af Orbita, der ikke (som bos Icelus Jiamatns) er 

 haandformig fladtrykt, men tilspidset; denne gaar let tabt 

 ved Berøring. 



Finnerne. Straaleantallet synes idetbele -at være en 

 forboldsvis ringe Variation underkastet, sammenlignet med, 

 bvad der finder Sted hos Icelus Jiamatns og flere andre 

 Cottoider. 



Iste Dorsal bar 7 eller 8 Straaler, der begynde umid- 

 delbart over Pectoralernes øvre Fæste, og ende noget bagen- 

 for Anus. Den bar ingen betydelig Højde. idet denne 

 sjeldent overstiger Hovedets balve Længde. 



2den Dorsal bar 13 Straaler, bos enkelte Individer 

 12 eller 14, og begynder uden Interdørsalrum bag Iste 

 Dorsal; den har noget større Højde, end denne, og naar 

 med Spidsen af sine længste Straaler i omtr. en balv Orbital- 

 diameters Afstand fra Roden af Caudalen, eller undertiden 

 kortere. 



Two spines on preoperculum, tbe lower sbort, inclin- 

 ing downwards, and but slightly developed; the upper 

 long, hooked, remarkably sharp and powerful, above and 

 below slightly depressed; the point does not reach back to 

 the upper edge of the operculum. Specimens in perfect 

 preservation have this strong booked spine protected to 

 the apex by the integument, wliich tills up and con- 

 ceals tbe inner groove. At the base of the large 

 spine, on the anterior side, occurs a smaller one, which, 

 however, in well-preserved examples can hardly be observed, 

 save by the touch. Operculum furnislied lielow with 

 a single spine; above, it terminates in a soft, convex flap, 

 concealing beneath a depressed, but sharp-pointed spine. 

 Between the anterior and posterior pairs of nostrils occur 

 two sbort spines, and, on the occiput, two others, all of 

 which, however, in common with the other spines, are 

 directed backwards, and project hut sliglitly above the 

 integument. 



Lateral Line, Mucous Pores, and Cirfi. — A row of 5 or 

 6 pores extends from the anterior nostrils, on each side, 

 backwards under the eye, terminating in close proximity 

 to the posterior edge of the orbita. Similar series occur 

 on tlie under surface of the lower jaw. 



In young examples, .the lateral line is composed of 

 large and open pores, seldom exceeding 18, which, however, 

 are not always equal in number on both sides. In more 

 mature individuals the pores are smaller; their original 

 circumference being, however, distinctly obvious, as dis- 

 rupted and slightly protuberant rings. In fry-speci- 

 mens (having a total length of less than 12'"'"), the 

 lateral line cannot yet be distinguished, but so soon as 

 the body has attained a length of 15'"'", 5 or 6 pores are 

 obvious in the anterior region. 



The head is furnished with one cirrus, exceed- • 

 ingly short; on the posterior margin of tlie upper jaw, im- 

 mediately in front of the angle of the mouth, in the exact 

 spot where a similar cirrus occurs in Cottus huhalis and C. 

 lilljehorf/ii. In perfect specimens a cirrus is also observed 

 on the superior margin of the orbits, tapering to a point 

 (not thin and riband-shaped as in IceJus Jiamatns); being 

 very slenderly attached to the skin, great care must be 

 taken to preserve it uninjured. 



Fiiw. — In C. uncinatus the number of fin-rays is 

 apparently subjected to but slight variation as compared 

 with this feature in Icelus Jiamatus and divers other species 

 of Cottoids. 



The first dorsal, furnished with 7 or 8 rays, com- 

 mences immediately above the upper extremity of the base 

 of the pectorals, and terminates at a short distance behind 

 the anus; its height is not considerable, rarely exceeding 

 half the length of the head. 



The 2nd dorsal" has 13, in some individuals 12 or 14 

 rays; it is contiguous to the 1st dorsal, exceechng it how- 

 ever somewhat in height, tbe tip of the longest rays ex- 

 tending to a, distance of about half the diameter of the 

 orbit from the base of the caudal, sometimes not quite 

 so far. 



