— 224 — 



from 14 to 24 cm. were obtained at Stat. 15. From the material now before us there is 

 every reason to draw the conclusion that Gad. minutus occurs and spawns in quantities 

 on the Rockall Bank. 



9. Bib (Gad. luscus). 



No indication of this species was found. 



10. Poutassou (Gad. Poutassou). 



In Rockall Channel the pelagic fry of this species were obtained over great depths in 

 quantities up to 167 specimens per ^/a hour. On Rockall Bank itself some specimens 

 were found, but at the stations in shallowest water out there the fry were completely 

 lacking in our hauls. Trawling on the way from Rockall Bank to Iceland showed it to 

 be gradually decreasing in number northward, until it altogether ceased to appear in our 

 hauls, thereby showing a similar distribution as in former years (see the chart of distri- 

 bution). The latest investigations thus confirm our former results, according to which 

 Gad. Poutassou originates from and spawns in water of high salinity and temperature, 

 both of which conditions are in the highest degree fulfilled by the water W. of Scotland 

 over great depths. There is reason to believe that it decreases in number W. of Rockall 

 Bank where the temperature as well as the salinity are also in fact on the decline. This 

 is indicated by the striking absence of the fry at St. 17, which lies W. of Rockall Bank 

 in deep water. 



Another circumstance deserves to be pointed out, namely, that contrary to former 

 years we found in 1908 some Poutassou fry inside the 200 m. curve W. of Scotland (see 

 Chart IV) besides in deep water. It was however only negligible quantities we found 

 compared with the fry taken over great depths, in fact it is seen from the chart at once 

 that the habitat and spawning ground of the species are to be found out here. 



11. Silvery pout (Gadiculus argenteus). 



Of this species, which spawns in deep water, a greater quantity of the pelagic fry 

 than of any other gadoid was obtained in Rockall Channel and round Rockall Bank during 

 the expedition in May, viz. no less than e. g. 532, 339, 314 and 231 specimens per ^h 

 hour. We thus learn that the Gadiculus fry are produced in large quantities in the warm 

 and salt water W. of Scotland, but we also see from the chart of distribution (Chart 1) that 

 the fry were only found at the very first stations on the way from Rockall Bank to Ice- 

 land and not N. of 60° N. L., confirming the results obtained in former years: that no 

 propagation or scarcely any takes place so far to the north in the Atlantic as S. of Iceland. 



12. Hake (Merluccius vulgaris). 



No indication of the fry of this fish was found either W. of Scotland or on Rockall 

 Bank nor were any older specimens obtained in the otter-trawl at the latter place. The 

 non-appearance of the fry ought not however to be considered as a proof of the fact that 

 the fish does not .propagate here, inasmuch as the spawning takes place later in the year 

 (see p. 95). It seems however to be out of the question that large quantities at any rate 

 of hake fry are produced on the Rockall Bank, thus Mr. Geo. Moody of Grimsby (see 

 p. 222) speaks as follows regarding the frequency of this fish, so wellknown in England 

 and economically so important in the landings from Rockall: "I know a man who has 

 caught a few fish in a trawl, and I have seen a few odd ones caught on the lines". 



