130 



og standser vod dettes bagre Eand ; eu kortere Eække 

 gaar fra Snudespidsen hen under forreste Næsebor til det 

 bagre Næsebor, ligesom en anden Eække gaar bueformigt 

 under denne ben mod Øjets forreste Eand. 



Paa Kinderue strækker en Eække sig fra Snudespid- 

 sen laugs Overranden af Overkjæven. og bøjer hen under 

 Øjet. Paa Underkjæven strækker en Eække sig fra Sym- 

 physis bagover, og standser i Eegelen ved Underkjævens 

 Led. 



Paa ( ija-llelaagene gaar en Eække fra Underkjæve- 

 leddet hen laugs Gjællelaagets Eand. og en anden kortere 

 næsten parallelt indenfor denne. Mellem begge disse Eæk- 

 ker strækker sig en Eække af omtrent 4 yderst korte, 

 lividagtige Hudtrevler. 



Paa Panden staar eu i Eegelen V-formig (men ofte 

 uregelmæssig) Samling af Slimporer. og paa Siderne og 

 Nakken mindre Grupper, tilligemed enkelte spredte Slim- 

 porer og Hudtrevler. 



Farve. Farven er hos de yngre Individer i levende 

 Live mat solvglindsende. oventil mere rødlig, idet Lege- 

 met her er bestroet med talløse rodbruue Punkter, der j^aa 

 Hovedet staa tættest; opbevarede' paa Spiritus blive de lysere 

 uden tydelige Pletter, og blot hos enkelte Individer lindes 

 mørkere Skygninger henad Eyggen, ligesom Finnerne hos 

 enkelte have tydelige mørke Eande. Bugen er stærkere 

 sølvfarvet. 



Ældre Individer ere mørkere farvede: især ere Fin- 

 nerne stærkt pigmeuterede, og synes, naar de ere sammen- 

 slaaede, ■ næsten sorte i sin ydre Del. Analerne ere dog 

 noget lysere. 



Pøde. De under Nordhavs-Expeditionen erholdte 

 Individer optoges, som det syntes, i de mellemliggende 

 Vandlag. men observeredes ikke umiddelbart i eller ved 

 Yaudskorjjen, saaledes som tidligere under andre Expedi- 

 tioner. Ved én Lejlighed ophentede Trawlen i et enkelt 

 Kast 72 Stykker, alle Unger, med en je^ni Størrelse af 

 omkr. 100""". saaledes at de utvivlsomt gaa stimevis, som 

 de øvrige Arter ; men de Dyrelevninger, som fandtes i deres 

 Ventrikel, tilhørte hovedsagelig (tildels udelukkende) CaJamis 

 finmarcMcus, Gunn., eller hos et Individ Themisto lihellula, 

 Mandt, blandet med Calaner, saaledes jielagiske Foi'mer, 

 der færdes i enhver Dybde. 



Paa Gjællerne af et af Individerne snyltede en Lernæ 

 (af Slægten Haemobaphes); et Par andre smaa Snyltekrebs 

 vare fæstede til Huden af samme Individ. 



TJdbredelse. Under den Forudsætniug, at de oven- 

 for nævnte. under Navnene Merlangus 'polaris, Gadus fa- 

 hricii. Gadus agilis og Gadus glacnilis opstillede Former 

 ere identiske med Gadus saida fra Hvidehavet, optræder 

 denne Art tah-igt i Eiu'opas og Americas Polartrakter. og 

 hører til de Fiske, der ere observerede længst mod Nord. 

 Den færdes helst mellem Drivisen, og tilhører udelukkende 

 den kolde Area. 



minating at their posterior margin ; a shorter series, extend- 

 ing from the point of the snout under the anterior nostril ; 

 and another, bending archwise beneath the latter to the 

 anterior margin of the eye. 



On the cheeks, a series extending from the point 

 of the snout along the superior margin of the upper jaw, 

 passing from thence obliquely under the eye. On the lower 

 jaw, a series commencing at the symphysis, and terminating 

 at the articulation of the inferior maxillary bone. 



On the gill-plates, a series extending from the arti- 

 culation of the inferior maxillai'y along the margin of the 

 opercle ; and a shorter, inner series running almost parallel 

 to the former. Between these two series of pores, a row 

 of about 4 whitish cirri, exceedingly short. 



On the forehead, too. there is a collection of mucous 

 pores, having, as a rule, the shape of the letter V ; and on the 

 sides of the head and on the nape there occur smaller 

 groups, together with a few isolated mucous pores and 

 cutaneous filaments. 



Coloiir. — Live individuals, comparatively young, dis- 

 tinguished by a silvery lustre ; upper surface reddish, being 

 freckled with innumerable points of I'eddish-brown, more 

 especially on the head ; specimens preserved in spirits 

 gradually fade, the spots becoming indistinct; darkish 

 cloudings down the back are, however, observed in a, few 

 individuals, and the margin of the fins, too. keeps dai'k 

 in some. The abdomen argenteous. 



Mature examples relatively darker, in particular on 

 the fins, which, owing to the jiigment secreted under the 

 skin, have almost the appearance of being bordered with 

 black. The anals somewhat lighter. 



Pood. — The individuals ' obtained on the Expedition, 

 contrary to the experience of former observers, were taken 

 in the intermedial strata of the ocean, having on no occa- 

 sion been met with at or near the surface. In Magdalene 

 Bay. 72 individuals, all of them young, the total length 

 averaging alsout 100"""' . were brought up together in 

 the trawl-net. showing beyond doubt that this species, 

 in common with its congeners, moves in shoals; but the 

 animal remains found in the ventricles of the specimens 

 examined, belonged chiefly (in some instances exclusively), 

 to Calanus fimnarcMcus, or consisted of fragments of TJie- 

 misto Mbellula, along with Calani, accordingly pelagic forms, 

 occurring at aU depths, from the surface to the bottom. 



On the gills of one specimen was found an exauiple 

 of a Hcemobaphes; two other small parasitic crustaceans had 

 attached themselves to the skin of the same individual. 



Distribution. — Assuming the forms established 

 as Merlangus polaris, Gadus fabricii, Gadus agilis, and 

 Gadus glacialis to be identical with Gadus saida, inha- 

 biting the White Sea, this species is common in the Polar 

 tracts of Europe and America, and is one of the fishes 

 observed farthest north. It is met with mostly between 

 the drift-ice. its habitat being exclusively confined to the 

 frigid area. 



