12 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
teeth, as in the other species of this sub-family, are thick 
and conical, and are set in a simple row; the front 
teeth are the largest, they are curved and project 
slightly. In the lotver jaw the middle pair are a little 
smaller than the teeth on each side of them, in the 
upper jaw they are the largest of all. On each side 
of the upper jaw 13, on each side of the lower jaw 16 
teeth, at most; the 5 back teeth in both jaws fairly 
small. Within this row another irregular but simple 
and complete row of small but strong teeth which in 
the living fish are entirely hidden in the gums. The 
pharyngeals densely covered with cylindrical, straight 
and blunt teeth. No teeth on the vomer, the palatine 
bone or the tongue ; and the folds of skin {vela) within 
the mouth, as in all Labri, of considerable size. The 
branchiostegal membrane, as in the other species, large; 
it encircles the throat with a broad, free margin and 
is furnished on each side with 5 slightly curved, fine 
rays. The gill-cover free up to the lateral line. The 
hind margin of the preoperculum generally without serra- 
tion; but in some specimens, and especially in the fe- 
males, it is finely denticulated, almost as in Labrus 
rupestris, etc.., which Cuvier on this account referred 
to distinct genera. 
The scales are large and almost rectangular, with 
their free edge somewhat rounded and the breadth about 
3 / 4 of the length, but they overlap each other to a great 
extent. Their central area is very large, occupying 
about half the length and breadth of the scale, and 
densely punctate. In the posterior part of the scale 
the striation is concentric with the margin, but late- 
rally it is slightly oblique, and in the anterior part 
runs from the margin inwards. The longitudinal stria- 
tion is visible only in the anterior part, the margin of 
which is deeply denticulated. In the transverse line 
from the lateral line to the dorsal fin there are 6 scales, 
and between the former and the ventral fins 19 or 20. 
The lateral line, which runs parallel to the dorsal line 
and follows the curve of the back, as in all the Scan- 
dinavian species of this genus, contains 46 or 47 scales 
furnished with a small duct curving slightly upwards. 
In the posterior part of the lateral line the scales are 
much more crowded than in the anterior part, and they 
advance over the caudal fin. The continuations of the 
lateral line on the head consist of very fine pores in 
the same position as in most other fishes. The vent 
is a little behind the middle point of the body below 
the 16th dorsal ray. 
The dorsal fin commences just over the extremity 
of the gill-cover. It is of uniform height, with the first 
ray a little shorter and some of the hind ones slightly 
longer than the rest. The first 16, 17, or 18 hard, 
unarticulated and pungent, with a membranous flap 
(r amentum), as usual, behind the point; the others, from 
11 to 13 in number, articulated, the first simple, the 
second and third divided, the others with a further 
division of their hind branch. The last is so deeply 
divided that one may easily take it for two rays. In 
both sexes the proportion of these rays is inconstant, 
18 17 16 . 
being p 2 or 13 , j,, or u , making 30 or 31 m all. 
The anal fin is right opposite the posterior part 
of the dorsal, commencing at the 17th ray, and is of 
about the same depth and shape, but the spinous rays, 
which are 3 in number, gradually diminish in size 
towards the beginning of the fin. It has 11 soft rays, 
seldom 10 or 12, the first or both the first and second 
simple, the last, as usual, double. The length of the 
anal fin is considerably greater than in the preceding 
species; it is about 1 / 6 of the length of the body". 
The pectoral fins broad and short, about 2 / 5 of the 
head in length, obtusely rounded, with 16 rays, seldom 
17. The first ray comparatively short and simple, the 
second simple and a little shorter than the third, fourth 
and fifth which are divided; the rest are doubly and more 
deeply divided; the last gradually diminish in length. 
The ventral fins are inserted a little behind the 
pectorals, commencing underneath them at about their 
middle point, and '/s or 7 9 as long again as they; they 
have, as usual, 6 rays, the first of which is hard and 
pungent and about 2 /s °f die fin in length; the others 
articulated and three times doubly divided; the third 
longest, the last almost as long as the first. 
The caudal fin scaly at the base, short, the ex- 
tremity straight with rounded corners. It has 11 rays 
of equal length, trebly and deeply divided, and on each 
side one somewhat shorter simple ray, together with 
3 very short and indistinct supporting rays. 
The internal organs resemble those of the preceding 
species. In the month of July Sundevall found in the 
ovaries a large number of newly formed, small eggs. The 
peritoneum, as in the Ballan Wrasse, thin and whitish. 
In 6 measured specimens the length of the base was on an average 17.3 % of the total length; the minimum was 15.6 /, the maximum 
18.3 %. 
