18 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
among the seaweed which grows so luxuriantly here. 
Its food seems to consist exclusively of the smaller spe- 
cies of crustaceans, worms, mollusks, etc., fragments of 
which are found in its stomach. It rises to the surface 
only when attracted thither by some prey, and as soon 
as this is caught, it again descends to the bottom. At 
the approach of danger it takes refuge under the jetty, 
in a cleft of the rock, or under some coarse-leaved 
seaweed. In the winter it withdraws into deeper water; 
at any rate it does not occur near shore at this time 
of year. It cannot, however, be very far away, for on 
the 12th January, 1838, v. Wright found 5 specimens 
in the gullet and stomach of Lams glaucus. In Sweden 
it begins to spawn in the middle of June, at which 
time Fries found this species in Boh u si an ready to spawn, 
or later. In the middle of July Sundevall has found 
newly-formed eggs in the ovaries. There is evidence 
that in other countries it spawns in April and May“ 
as well as in Julyh Females with running roe occur of 
a length as small as only 86 mm. According to Fries, 
the ovaries resemble those of the Striped Wrasse, but 
according to Sundevall’s description, they are poste- 
riorly united into one. The roe is very fine (i. e. the 
eggs numerous) and yellowish, but quite transparent at 
the time of depositing. 
Where there is opportunity for other more remu- 
nerative fishing, the Goldsinny is held in no very high 
esteem. Still its flesh is white and firm, and would 
make a dainty dish if one availed oneself of it. It 
is often caught in large quantities in nets cast for 
other fishes. From the pier-heads in Bolmslan it 
may easily be taken with a small hook and a bait of 
periwinkle. 
(Fries, Smitt.) 
THE GILT-HEAD OR CONNOR (sw. skarsnultran or skottan). 
LABRUS (CRENIL ABRU S) MELOPS. 
Plate II, fig. 3. 
Back of the head naked. Number of scales in the lateral line less than 40. Above the lateral line 4 (sometimes 
5) rows of scales. Superior part of the inter operculum for the most part seedy. Cheeks with large scales in 5 
suborbital rows. Number of spinous rays in the anal fin 3. Anal fin comparatively long , the least depth of the 
tail measuring at most 3 * * / 4 of its base 0 . 
R. hr. 5; D*. A e . PC * 2 / 13 ; V. V 3 ; C. *+11+*; 
y i + o 
L. Rat. 34 s'. 
Syn. Labrus melops, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. X, p. 286; Cuv. Val., 
( Crenilabrus ), Hist. Nat. Poiss., XIII, p. 167; Kroyer, Damn. 
Fiske, I, p. 521; Sundevall, ( Labrus ) Skand. Fiskar , ed. I, 
p. 182; Nilsson, ( Labrus , Crenilabrus), Skand. Fn., Fisk., 
p. 270; Gunther, ( Crenilabrus ), Brit. Mas. Cat., Fish., IV, 
p. 80; Malm, Gbgs , Boh. Fn., p. 477; Day, Fish. G:t Brit., 
Irek, I, p. 260; Mob., Hcke. Fisclie der Ostsee, p. 70; 
Collett, N. Mag. f. Nature., B:d 29 (1884), p. 73; Lillje- 
borg ( Labrus , Crenilabrus), Sv., Norg. Fiskar, p. 436. 
Lutjanus norwegicus, Bloch, Naturg. Ausl. Fische, V, p. 11, 
tab. CCLVI; Nilsson {Labrus), Prodr. Ichth. Scand ., p. 
76; Fries et Wright, Skand. Fiskar, ed. I, tab. 44; Cuv., 
Val. {Crenilabrus), 1. c. p. 176. 
Perea maculosa, Retzius, Fn. Suec. Lin., p. 337. 
Labrus Rone, Ascanius, Ic. rer. nat., II, p. 6, tab. XIV; 
Nilsson Prodr., p. 77; Cuv., Val., 1. c., p. 172. 
Labrus tinea, Turton (Yarrell); Labrus turdus, Muller, 
Crenilabrus Pennantii, Cuv., Val., Labrus cornubicus, Gme- 
lin (Yarrell); Crenilabrus Donovani, Cuv., Val.; Creni- 
labrus Couchii, Cuv., Val.; Labrus gibbus (Pennant) Gme- 
lin (Cuv., Val.): vide GOnther et Day, 11. cc. 
Note. Valenciennes was the first to state that the fish which 
Linnahjs had described as a Mediterranean species under the name 
Labrus melops, also occured in the North Sea and off the coast of 
Denmark. But Kroyer was the first to prove that this same fish had 
long been known to the Scandinavian faunists and described by them 
as a Scandinavian species. Thus he was able to prove that all the 
names given above really belong to one single species. Sundevall 
gave the additional information that the type-specimen of Linnaius’s 
“ Vid. Day 1. c., p. 265. 
6 Vid. Kroyer 1. c., p. 555. 
c In 5 measured specimens the least depth of the body was on an average 68,5 % of the base of the anal fin, the minimum being 
63.5 the maximum 74.2 /. 
d Sometimes 
e Sometimes 
15 
Y 
3 
10 
16 14 — 17 
. According to Day (1. c. p. 262). 
1+8 & 8 — 9 1 J 
3 3 
or . 
2+7 1+9 
■ f Sometimes 2 + 12, sometimes 2 + 12 on one side of the body and 2 + 13 on the other. 
g 32 — 35 according to Day. 1. c. 
