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Part III. — Fifteenth Annual Report 



look forward, outward, and slightly downward. The nasal organ shows 

 only a single large opening close in front of the angle of the eye. The 

 mouth is large, and the tongue-like process of the hyoidean apparatus 

 projects forward on its floor. The breadth of the lower jaw inferiorly is 

 considerable, so that the little fish rests steadily on this surface. The 

 vent occurs at the end of a ventral ridge. 



The second dorsal fin begins like that of the adult, a little behind a 

 line prolonged upwards from the base of the pectoral, and stretches almost 

 continuously to the tail. At this stage true fin-rays are present, though 

 the fragmentary condition of many of these gives a degree of uncertainty as 

 to the actual continuation of the dorsal into the caudal. All that can be 

 said is, that the broken caudal rays rise clear of the broken dorsal and anal 

 rays, as if a slight hiatus existed. The anal commences immediately 

 behind the vent, and extends in the same way almost to the caudal. 

 The pectorals have a large, free, fleshy basis, and are apparently large ; 

 but as only one had a portion of its rays present, the exact condition 

 cannot be determined. The pelvics spring from the ventral surface con- 

 siderably anterior to the pectorals, and have evidently been of great 

 length. Thus, in regard to their insertion, they differ from certain 

 gadoids in which a change forwards takes place during the growth of the 

 fish. The six filmy rays, all of which, however, are imperfect, extend 

 considerably beyond the vent ; whereas, in the adult, the longest ray falls 

 considerably short of it. Like the ling, rockling, and other gadoids, 

 therefore, the tadpole-fish has very long ventrals in his pelagic stage ; and, 

 as Malm states, the colour of these is also characteristic, viz., deep black. 

 No trace of colour on the fins proper remained in the present example, 

 which had been much damaged before preparation. 



In all probability, such a specimen, if the date be correct, would issue 

 from an egg spawned in July or August ; and its capture in the region 

 mentioned would show that the young are found on the same ground as 

 their parents, which are often caught in crab-pots inshore, or thrown on 

 shore after storms. 



Of the other sizes known, one of 8J inches was got at Portrush * on 

 the 5th March ; while, at St Andrews, those procured in February were 

 respectively 9, 10, and 10J inches, and that of the 21st November, 10 

 inches. The latter would appear to be an average specimen. 



A. W. Malm caught a young example, 13 mm. long, on the 23rd July, 

 at Lunnevik, Bonus] an. It ' was entirely whitish, with the exception of 

 the ventral fins, which were deep black ; while blackish-brown pigment 

 also appeared on the head, the front part of the sides, and across the 

 occipital region. Still, the typical form of the species was already 

 developed.' f 



At St Andrews, a specimen, 10 inches long, had, on the 21st November, 

 its reproductive organs extremely small, — in fact, rudimentary. 



* Ogilby, quoted from Day. 



t 'Scandinavian Fishes,' p. 561; and A. W. Malm, ' Goteborgs, etc., Fauna,' 

 p. 499, 1877. 



