— 103 — JOES. SCHMIDT 



(I. c, p. 259) says on the occurrence of the ling on the French coasts, namely, "Manche: 

 assez rare; Océan: rare; Golfe Gascogne: excessivement rare". 



According to friendly information from Dr. Ad. Cugnv of Boulogne-sur-Mer the ling 

 is pretty common in the Bay of Biscay. 



14. Molva byrkelange (=M. abyssorum Nilss.), Blue ling (Chart VII) 



§ 1. Remarks on the identification 



Even in the early postlarval stages the blue ling offers no difficulties in diagnostic 

 regards, at least not when contrasted with the species whose developmental stages are so 

 far known. From the common ling it is distinguished, among other characters, by having 

 three postanal pigment bars, from the torsk by having the prolonged ventral rays united 

 almost in the whole of their length, by the form of the head and by having the dorsal 

 portion of the postanal pigment bars especially the intermediate one (II) more developed 

 than the ventral. Lastly, it differs from Merluccius in having the rays of the ventrals 

 much more prolonged and in that the hindmost pigment bar (I) is not restricted to the 

 tail alone but extends out on to the embryonic fin. In the number of vertebrae also it 

 differs greatly from the species named i. For the rest, reference may be made to my 

 earlier papers and figures of the postlarval stages^. The eggs of the blue ling are 

 unknown. 



§ 2. Qeneral features of the occurrence 



Chart VII, on which the pelagic fry of Molva molva and M. elongata are also 

 represented, applies to the months of April to September. As the blue ling's eggs are 

 unknown, I have naturally not been able to include their occurrence on the Chart of dis- 

 tribution. 



We have found all the postlarval stages of the blue ling right from the earliest but 

 ca. 6 — 7 mm. long to the largest of ca. 80 mm. Even the largest were still pelagic, from 

 which we see that the fry of this species reaches a very considerable length before they 

 give up the pelagic mode of life. 



A glance at the Chart shows at once that the small pelagic fry of this species occurs 

 over very great depths, greater than those over which the fry of the common ling are 

 found. And a survey of the tables makes it clear that the majority of the earlier devel- 

 opmental stages (under 3 cm. long) were taken beyond or near to the 1000-meter line and 

 none within 5 — 600 meters. From this we may conclude that the blue ling spawns 

 in the Atlantic beyond or near to the 1000-meter line and not within 5 — 

 600 meters. On the other hand the older pelagic stages (3—5—8 cm.) were taken in 

 shallower water, thus on the south coast of Iceland within the 200-meter line and also in 

 the neighbourhood of the Shetlands, but this naturally does not contradict what has just 

 been said, as there can be no doubt that these older stages have been carried in over 

 shallow water from greater depths. Further, in relation to the total number it is only 



' The number of vertebrae according to my investigations is 31—33 + 45—40=76—79. 

 - See "Molva", 1906; "Brosmius" 1905; "Merluccius" 1907; "Raniceps raninus" and "Molva elon- 

 gata" 1907. 



