of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



197 



At 24 mm. (PI. V. fig. 1), the little haddock is distinguished at once 

 from the whiting of the same length by the more compact outline ; by the 

 shorter first anal fin ; by the longer pelvic fins, which reach nearly as far 

 backward as the tips of the long second ray of the pectorals, and extend 

 beyond the anus ; by the slightly larger eye ; by the presence of a larger 

 amount of dark pigment generally on the fins, the ventrals being quite 

 pale in the whiting, On the other hand, the black pigment on the 

 head of the whiting is better marked, and the same may be said of the 

 tip of the snout, the premaxillary and the mandibular regions. Both 

 species have the sides of the body dotted with pigment-specks from the 

 pectorals backward, and dorsally forward to the snout, the belly being 

 pale and slightly silvery. The mandibular region inferiorly, however, in 

 the whiting, shows more numerous black chromatophores. Moreover, 

 above and a little behind the pectoral in the haddock is an area dotted 

 with very minute black chromatophores, — the future black spot, though 

 not at present conspicuously differentiated. Lastly, in the haddock, the 

 barbel is generally more distinct. The vent in the latter is nearly in the 

 middle of the body, whereas in the whiting it is close to the anterior 

 third, and thus the body of the whiting is proportionally elongated. No 

 scales are yet present. 



From a cod of the same length the young haddock is diagnosed by the 

 shorter, thicker body, by the smaller barbel, by the more evident 

 separation of the second and third dorsal fins and of the two anal, by the 

 longer ventral fins, and by the absence of the tendency of the black 

 pigment to form a lateral line along the middle of the body. Moreover, 

 the chromatophores generally on the sides of the cod are less numerous. 



At 29 mm. (PI. V. fig. 2, and enlarged in fig. 5) the general bulk of 

 the little haddock — in contrast with that at 24 mm. — has notably 

 increased, and the shape and curves of the head have been modified. 

 The ventral fins are proportionally longer, — a feature doubtless associated 

 with the more purely pelagic life followed by the species at this stage. 

 The black pigment is still present on these fins (pelvic). No scales are 

 developed. 



From the whiting of the same size it is recognised by the permanent 

 characters in relation to the first anal fin, and by the much longer 

 ventral fins, the second ray of which projects beyond the rest, as well 

 as by the more compact outline and the more distinct barbel. Moreover, 

 at this length, the aggregation of the dorsal pigment in the whiting to 

 form the characteristic bars at once separates them. The pigment on the 

 head of the haddock is now well marked ; and the bones of the 

 mouth are also better pronounced. The nasal openings are larger. 

 The area with the minute black chromatophores, above the pectoral, 

 though present, does not attract special notice in scanning the fish 

 (haddock). All the fins of the latter are largely developed. From a cod 

 of the same length, the characters formerly mentioned still hold, but the 

 barbel in the cod is much larger, and the disproportion between the 

 pectoral and the ventral fins greater. The second ray of the ventral in 

 the cod is now longer than the first. The tendency of the lateral pigment 

 to form bars in this species (cod) is also diagnostic. 



In connection with this stage it may be mentioned that, in the 

 1 Scandinavian Fishes,' it is stated that at Spitzbergen in September the 

 young haddock are about 35 mm. long ; while Collett, in Christian ia 

 Fjord, found them 40 to 50 mm. long on the 14th of June. 



At 39 mm. (PI. V. fig. 3, and enlarged in fig. 7) the chief changes in 

 the young haddock are, a diminution of the proportional length of the 

 ventral fins, the acutely pointed condition of the first dor-sal fin, and the 



