149 



Desiulen falde ikke sjeldeu de individuelle Variatiouer 

 lios Individenie fra de nordligste og de sydligste Localiteter 

 sammen, eller de kunne endog -krydse liinariden. Saaledes 

 udviste et af Individerne fra. Havet mellem Beenni Eiland 

 og Spitsbergen i Dorsalen 84, i Analen 68 ' Straaler, me- 

 dens Kroyer hos et af sine Individer ira Danmark talte i- 

 . Dorsalen 88, i Analen ()7 Straaler. 



Nogen Artsdistinction mellem de nordlige og sydlige 

 Former, der kunde begrundes ved Straaleautallet i Fin- 

 nerne, vil derfor neppe kunne forsvares. 



■I alle andre Forholde ere de arctiske Individer af 

 Arten ikke til at adskille fra de sydligere. Det er dog 

 en Selvfolge. at i Sammenhæng med det forøgede Straale- 

 antal staar en tilsvarende l<'orøgelse i Antal af Skjælrækker, 

 , Porer i Sidelinien, samt af Hvirvler. Men fuldkommen con- 

 stante Afvigelser lade sig ligesaalidt paavise i disse For- 

 holde, som i Antallet af Straalerne. 



Paa samme Maade altsaa, som Lixiaris lineafns (Le- 

 pech.) i- de arctiske Landsdele optræder med et constant 

 •større Antal Straaler i de verticale Finner, end ved Nor- 

 ges og Sveriges Sydkyst, samt i Østersøen, og. uden at her- 

 paa kan begrundes en Adskillelse i Arter eller endog i 

 constante Varieteter, er saaledes det samme Tilfældet med 

 Hippoglossoides pJcdessoides; og da Arten er beskreven under 

 dette Navn allerede 7 Aar tidligere, end den sydligere, af 

 Bloch opstillede Pleuronectes Umatuloides, maa dette- si dste 

 Navn vige for det ældre. 



Som en Særegenhed ved en Del af de under Expe- 

 ditioneu erholdte Individer kan anføres, at Pectoralens 

 Straaler paa Blindsiden havde en ret afskaaren Rand, og 

 vare tillige kortere, end hos de øvrige Individer. 



Føde. Blaudt de mellem Beeren Eiland og . Spits- 

 bergen fra en Dybde af 123 P^avue ophentede Individer 

 blev Venti'ikelen og dens Indliold undersogt hos 1 1 af for- 

 skjellig Størrelse. Indholdet beiandtes temmelig ensartet, 

 hvad der ogsaa var at vente, da alle vare erholdte i det 

 samme Kast med Trawlnettet. 



Foruden Tliemisto lihdhda, Mandt, der neppe savne- 

 des hos noget af de undersøgte Individer (hos enkelte _fand- 

 tes næsten udelukkende denne Art, og i stor Mængde), var 

 særdeles hyppig tilstede Pecfen groenlandkus, Sow., tildels 

 i talrige Exemplarer, og med fuldkommen hele Skaller. 

 Andre Crustaceer, end den ovennævnte Hyperide, fandtes 

 ikke i nogeu Mængde; enkelte Exemplarer af en Anony.r 

 fandtes hos tiere af Individerne, fremdeles tiere Munnopsis 

 typica, M. Sårs, samt enkeltvis Syrrhoe crenulata, Goes, en 

 ung Pasiphaé tarda, Kr., en Ampéiisca, samt en Protome- 

 deia fasdata, Kr. 



Endvidere fandtes af andre bestembare Dyr tiere 

 hele Exemplarer af en Nephthys, samt Stykker af Rørene 

 af andre Annelider, livoriblandt kunde kjendcs Cldoraema 

 penucidum, M. Sårs; fremdeles et Par Exemijlarer ai Ophi- 

 oden sericeum, Forb., en Yoldia frigida, Tor., en Pla- 



Moreover, such individual differences in examples from 

 the most northerly and examples frcnn the most southerly 

 localities, are not infrequently found to meet, or congrue, 

 nay even to pass the differential limit. Thus, for instance, 

 one. of the specimens taken between Beeren. Eiland and 

 Spitzbergen has in the dorsal 84, in the anal 68 rays ; and 

 Kroyer counted in one of his Danish s]iecimens 88 rays 

 in the dorsal, and 67 in the anal. 



A specific distinction between the northern and south- 

 ern forms derived from the number of fin-rays, there is, 

 accordingly, but little reason to assume. 



In all other respects, the Aixtic individuals of the 

 species are not to be distinguished from individuals occur- 

 ring in Southern' localities. As a matter of course, how- 

 ever, the increased number of fin-rays .involves a propor- 

 tionate augmentation in the number of scales, vertebræ, and 

 pores in the lateral line ; but the variation observed, . in 

 these characters is not more constant than in the number 

 of fin-rays. 



* As is the case with Liparifi liueatus, which in the 

 Arctic regions has the vertical fins invariably furnished with 

 a greater number of rays than when occurring on the 

 coasts of Norway and Sweden and in the Baltic (this 

 feature, however, not sufficing to warrant division into 

 species or constant varieties even), so too with Hippoglos- 

 soides platessoides. And the species having been diagnosti- 

 cated under this name 7 years before the southern form 

 PJetironectes Unmndoides, established by Bloch, the latter 

 name must give way to the earlier designation. 



As a peculiar feature in some of the individuals taken 

 on the Expedition, may be noticed the straight margin of 

 the pectoral rays on the blind side ; these rays were shorter, 

 too, than in the other individuals. 



Food. — Of the numerous individuals collected be- 

 tween Beeren Eiland and Spitzbergen, at a depth of 123 

 fathoms, the stomach and its contents were examined in 

 11, of different dimensions. The contents exhibited very 

 little disparity, as was indeed to be expected, all of the 

 individuals having been brought up at one haul with the 

 .trawl-net. 



Exclusive of Themisfo liheUula, Mandt, which can 

 hardly have been wanting in any one of the individuals 

 examined (in some the ventricle was distended almost wholly 

 with this species), Peden grænlandicus, Sow., Irequently 

 occurred; and with the scales entire. The only crustacean 

 .. observed in considerable numbers, was the above-mentioned 

 Hyperid. In some of the ventricles were found a few 

 specimens of an Anonyx, also several examples of Mimnop- 

 sis typica, M. Sars, and isolated examples of SyrrJioe cre- 

 nulata, Goes, a young Pasiphaé tarda, Kr., an Ampelisca, 

 and a Protomedeia fasciata, Kr. 



Of other animals, occurred in one spiecimen several 

 perfect examples of a Nephthys, also fragments • of the 

 tubes of other Annelids, amongst whicK Chloræma pelluci- 

 dum, M. Sars, admitted of being determined ; n^oreover,- 

 one or two examples of Ophiorten sericeum, Fori)., a Yoldia 



