ZOPE. 
821 
is twice as long as the snout. The nostrils are similar 
to those of the preceding forms, but lie a little higher 
in relation to the eyes. The gill-openings are large, 
the branchiostegal membranes coalescing with the isth- 
mus rather near each other, just behind the perpendi- 
cular from the hind margin of the eyes. The gill- 
rakers are long, thick-set, and pectinated, with more 
or less distinct serrations. The outer row on the first 
branchial arch contains about 30 — 37, that on the outer 
anterior margin of the pharyngeals 24 — 26. The pha- 
ryngeals, which are remarkably thin, are each furnished 
with a row of five teeth, these being compressed, 
obliquely cut, and hooked at the tip, with concave 
(one-grooved) masticatory surface. 
The dorsal fin begins at a distance from the tip 
of the snout measuring 47 — 49 % of the length of the 
body. It is very obliquely truncate, with straight, or 
even slightly convex margin, and its height in front is 
more than twice its length, the longest ray measuring 
about 20 — 21 % of the length of the body, the base 
about 9 % of the same. The anal fin is very long, 
highest in front, then sinking in a small hollow, and 
afterwards proceeding with the margin almost straight. 
Its beginning lies at a distance from the tip of the snout 
measuring about 51 — 53 % of the length of the body; 
the length of its base is about 1 / 3 (32 1 ,/ 2 — nearly 35 %), 
and that of its longest ray about 13 x / 2 — 15 %, of the 
same. The caudal fin is deeply forked, the lower lobe 
being the longer; its middle rays measure about Vio 
of the length of the body and about 2 /s of that of the 
longest caudal rays. 
The pectoral fins are long and pointed, and their 
tips extend, when the fins are at rest, sometimes 
scarcely to the perpendicular from the insertion of the 
ventral fins, sometimes a little further back. The fins 
are longest as a rule in the males; but this rule is 
subject to exceptions which render it useless as a sexual 
character. Their length is about 1 / e (16'/ 2 — nearly 
19 %) of that of the body. The tips of the ventral fins 
commonly extend, at least in the males, quite to the 
anal aperture. The length of these fins is generally 
greatest in the males, and measures about 13 — 15 % of 
of that of the body. The distance between the tip of 
the snout and their insertion is greatest as a rule in 
the females, and occupies about 36 — 37 % of the length 
of the body. Both the preabdominal length and the 
postabdominal measure 16 (l5 1 / 2 ) — 18 % of the length 
of the body. 
Idle body is covered with comparatively small and 
thin scales, set in very oblique rows and densely im- 
bricated. They are in general more rounded than the 
scales of the Bream; but the true distinction lies in 
their still finer concentric striation and the smaller 
number of radiating grooves. 
The coloration is indeed subject, as usual, to great 
variations dependent on the age of the fish and the 
season of the year; but it closely resembles that of young 
Bream. The sides of the head display many colours, 
shot with silver and brassy yellow. The silvery white 
iris is dashed with yellow above the pupil, where the 
fine, green dots with which it is strewn are collected 
in a dark spot. The forehead is olive gray, and a 
somewhat lighter shade of the same colour extends to 
the back and the upper part of the sides, gradually 
fading below and passing, somewhat above the lateral 
line, into silvery gray. This last colour grows lighter 
and lighter towards the belly, which is almost white. 
The dorsal, caudal, and anal fins are of a plain olive 
gray, though the outer margin, especially of the last- 
mentioned fin, is dark. The pectoral and ventral fins 
are light gray with a dash of brown, red, or yellow 
at the base. 
In its habits the Zope seems nearly allied to the 
Bream, ft occurs in our largest lakes, Malar and We- 
ner, but is common only in the former, which appears 
to be its true habitat in Sweden. Sometimes it descends 
the River Gotha from Lake Wener (Malm), and it, no 
doubt, wanders from Lake Malar, as Lilljeborg has 
remarked, out into the island-belt of Stockholm (Sunde- 
vall). But in Sweden it does not seem to belong to 
the common fishes of the island-belt. The case is the 
same in Finland, though to the south of this country 
the Zope is common, according to Mela, in the interior. 
In the south of the Baltic, however, in the German 
Half’s and in the Gulf of Riga off the mouth of the 
Dima, it seems to lie a stationary fish (Mob., Hcke). 
According to Lixxnsus it occurs in Smaland, being there 
known by the name of Braxenflidca; but no trust- 
worthy information on this head has since been pro- 
cured, and the name may easily be due to a confusion. 
In the River Helge at Kristianstad, on the other hand, 
two specimens about 3 dm. long were taken in 1869, 
the first in March, the second in May; and they are 
now preserved among the stuffed collections in the mu- 
seum of the said town. Lilljeborg assumes that these 
examples were stray visitors from the south or east of 
