MARKETABLE BRITISH MARINE FISHES 



Mcintosh and Mr. Prince at St. Andrews. They were not able 

 to keep the larvai aHve in aquaria after the supply of yolk was 

 exhausted, but they succeeded in recognising the young forms 

 in various successive stages captured in the Bay. The smallest 

 of these were 5 mm. long (1 inch) and were taken on April 30th, 

 middle of May, and June ist. The fin-membrane was still 

 entirely without fin-ra}'s. Others were 6 mm. long. In those of 



7 mm. in length fine rays had appeared in the fin-membrane 

 behind ; the bars of colour on the tail had spread out and were 

 no longer distinct. 



Taken with these were specimens somewhat larger and older, 



8 to 10 mm. long or more. At the former length the larval 

 fin is still present and undivided, but at 10 mm. (-'-- inch^ the 

 permanent fins are marked out and the rays have begun to 

 appear in them, while the original membrane between them is 

 disappearing. Up to this stage the little larv.'e had been feeding 

 on minute crustaceans (copepods), and these continue to form 

 their principal food. 



Older specimens taken also on June ist were }f inch long, 

 and showed the fins more completely developed, and the com- 

 mencement of the barbel on the chin. The colour of these and 

 larger specimens up to 1^7 inches long consists of dark greenish- 

 brown bars irregularly arranged, separated by pale areas. 

 In June and July young cod from if to ij inches in length 

 were found abundantly in St. Andrew's Bay ; the speckled colour 

 is very characteristic. 



Sars found that the young cod after July lived among 

 the sea-weeds on the rocks near shore. In October they 

 were 4 or 5 inches long, in December 6 to 8 inches. These 

 sea-weed cod were of a reddish-yellow colour with thick bodies, 

 and fed chiefly on crustaceans, while others which lived on 

 sandy ground, fed on worms and small fish and were light green 

 or grey, and thinner. During the following summer the year-old 

 cod remain among the weeds and near shore, and measure on an 

 average 12 inches in length. Towards autumn they go out to 

 deeper water, and Sars concludes that the size at which breeding 

 commences, namely about 3 feet in length, is not reached until 

 the fi.sh are three years old. 



The young of the cod were reared from the egg in Norway 

 by Dannevig at his well-known establishment at Arendal, but he 



