Nr. 91 CONTRIB. TO THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE FISHES 



splendid play of colour in green and blue. The female also 

 rolled her eves somewhat; these are, however, far less beautiful 

 than those of the male, and lack the peculiar play of colonr. 

 The mating dress of the male is Iroughout extremely fine. The 

 head and gill covers are marked with thick curved blue stripes, 

 and solid spots of the same colour. The ventral fins are also 

 decked with blue, having spots near the base, and farther out, 

 a series of straight blue lines along the fin rays. There were 

 two blue stripes along the sides of the body. There are also 

 blue spots at the base of the pectoral fins, and the caudal is 

 gorgeously ornamented with thick blue stripes running longi- 

 tudinally. There is often a yellowish tone observable between 

 the blues. An important factor in the courting process is the 

 second dorsal fin, or »vane«, which in the case of the male is 

 so long as to reach, when at rest or folded down, as far as the 

 middle of the caudal fin. The extreme portion could at times 

 be seen lying beside the body. While the female was lying at 

 rest on the bottom, the male would from time to time take a 

 swim up to the surface, now and again unfolding its dorsal 

 fins when nearing the female. The female would frequently 

 appéar unmoved by this display, bul might occasionally be 

 persuaded to take a short swim side by side with the male, up 

 to the surface of the water. At times also, the female would 

 herself stretch out her second dorsal and caudal fins, showing 

 the greyish -brown patterns in the same. Only once did I observe 

 the female showing her first dorsal fin, which had a charac- 

 teristic black Iriangle in the pennant-shaped tip. Altogether, it 

 was a remarkable system of signals which was called into play 

 between the mating pair. The end of June appears to be the 

 height of the mating season for this species in Trondhjem Fjord. 



Cyclopterns lunipus Lin. 

 Dr. Swenander gives the spawning season for this species 

 (lumpsucker; Norwegian: » rognkjeks ) in Trondhjem Fjord as 

 from April to June inclusive, but spawning can also take place 

 later in the summer. I have found young fry in their first year 

 at various places, especially on Laminaria, troughout the sum- 

 mer, and have thus been able to form some opinion as to the 

 stage at which the spinous protuberances of the skin commence 

 to appear. I gi ve here the following measurements: 

 2C /io 1907, Fagernes, Borgenfjord, 4 — 13 m. 1 young fish, 18 mm. 



smooth. 

 27 /7 1909, Lønnemsleiret, Borgenfjord, 0,5 — 2 m. 1 spee. 1. 15 



mm. smooth; 1 spee. 1. 20 mm. incipienl protui 



berance formation. 



