Fishes of 1907 Cruise 231 



ScORPiENIDiE. 



Scorpcena dactyloptera (Delaroche). 

 Station 15. 50° 15' N., 8° 1' W. 320 fathoms. Grey sand. 

 Bottom temperature, 8 - 7° C. One, 285 millimetres. 



Sebastes marinus (L.). 



Station 8. 60° 18' N., 4° 43' W. 330 fathoms. Gravel and shells. 

 Bottom temperature, l - 8° C. Two, 280 and 245 millimetres. 



Station 21. 58° 19' N., 8° 51' W. 191 fathoms. Sand. Bottom 

 temperature, 9 '6° C. One, 240 millimetres. 



Cottid^:. 

 Cottunculus microps (Collett). 



Station 10. 60° 3' N., 6° 24' W. 49G fathoms. Gravel, sand, mud, 

 shells and stones. Bottom temperature, — 0*1°C. Ten specimens, 

 148 to 245 millimetres long. 



One of the smallest specimens, 148 millimetres long, was a female 

 containing ripe ova, which were 4 millimetres in diameter. Collett 

 (1905) observed ova 4-5 millimetres in diameter in a female 195 milli- 

 metres long. The ova are evidently demersal, like those of Coitus, and, 

 in all probability, are similarly deposited in masses. Mr. Opie made 

 the following note of the colours of these specimens when freshly 

 caught : ' The tail was light-coloured ; anterior to this was a brown 

 band, and in front of this another light band, including the dorsal and 

 anal tins ; then another brown band, followed by another light band, and 

 then a brown band extending to the operculum. In front of this 

 another light band extended nearly to the eye. The face was spotted 

 more distinctly in some specimens than in others ; the tip of the nose 

 was light in most cases, but not in all ; there was a dark patch under 

 the eye. The belly was a bluish-white ; the under side of the pectoral 

 fin was very dark. The eye was bright bluish-green, with a bright 

 margin.' 



The specimens show considerable variation in the occipital spines 

 or tubercles, which may be practically simple or bicornate or tri- 

 cornate. 



