64 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
The length of the head is between 27 and 24 % of the 
length of the body®, and its superior profile slopes more 
or less steeply, up to (in the so-called Mullus barbatus ) 
an angle of about 67° with the inferior profile. The 
interorbital space is convex or flat, or even concave, the 
latter condition depending not only on the elevation of 
the supraorbital margins, but also on a greater deve- 
lopment of the two longitudinal ridges on the frontal 
bones, which run between the supraorbital margins and 
parallel to each other. The mouth is small and the 
opening almost horizontal. Of the teeth on the inter- 
maxillaries, which disappear with age. one or two may 
sometimes be observed still present in adult specimens. 
The two nostrils on each side are fairly far apart, the 
anterior being small and round, the posterior forming 
a more or less vertical slit just in front of the eyes, 
which are of average size or fairly large. The hori- 
zontal diameter of the latter varies between 21 and 
24 % of the length of the head 6 , or between 5 7, and 
6 % of the length of the body*’. The barbels beneath 
the chin, which may be hidden under the interoper- 
cula, extend about as far back as the perpendicular 
from the hind margin of the preopercula. The bran- 
chiostegal membranes are united beneath the isthmus 
and are extended on 4 rays, the first of which, how- 
ever, is small and separate from the others, and ac- 
cording to Malm (1. c.) is wanting in young specimens. 
The operculum and suboperculum each are distinguished, 
as in the preceding family, by their short extent in the 
longitudinal direction of the body. The base of the 
first dorsal fin, minus the membrane which connects 
the last ray with the back, is about equal to that of 
the second; its distance from the tip of the snout varies 
between 32 and 34 % of the length of the body 1 '. The 
first ray is extremely small, sometimes scarcely visible 
externally. The base of the anal fin, which is equal 
to or a little longer than the least depth of the tail, 
is about 73 % of the base of the second dorsal 1 ', half 
of the length of the pectoral and 10 % of the length 
of the body 7 . The first ray is so small and so closely 
united to the second that it may easily be overlooked. 
The scales of the body are comparatively large and 
thin. On the cheeks 3 rows of scales, on the inter- 
operculum 1 row, and on the posterior part of the 
maxillary bones, as a rule, 3 scales. Above the lateral 
line in front 2 or 2 1 / 2 rows, farther back 3 or 3V 2 . 
The colouring of the body is very variable, especially 
at death. This is the result of the difference in the 
contraction of the dermal pigment cells. When they 
are most contracted, the red colour is predominant 6 '. 
At other times the back shades off into brown, the sides 
into rose and the belly into white. The longitudinal, 
yellow stripes, which are often wanting or hidden below 
the red tint, are most distinct in spring, in May, when 
the spawning-season is at hand 7 '. The first dorsal fin, 
according to Moreau', has, in the so-called Gold-striped 
Mullet, a- bright lilac band at the base, and above that 
a large, orange spot, and higher up is whitish but 
crossed by a yellow band with a large, black spot. 
The second dorsal and the caudal fins are orange: the 
pectoral a paler yellow. The anal and the ventral of 
the same colour as the belly, more or less dashed with 
a Maximum in 5 specimens from 142 to 252 mins, in iengtli 26.7 % 
Average 
Minimum 
b Maximum 
Average 
Minimum 
c Minimum 
Average 
Maximum 
d Maximum 
Average 
Minimum 
e Minimum 
Average 
Maximum 
f Minimum 
Average 
Maximum , 
11 ff 
ff ff 
ff if 
ff ff 
ff ff 
ff ff 
ff ff 
ff v 
ff ff 
ff ff 
ff ff 
ff ff 
ff ff 
ff ff 
ff ff 
f f f 
26.0 % 
24.6 % 
24.0 % 
22.8 % 
21.0 % 
5.6 °/o 
5.9 °/o 
6.2 % 
34.6 % 
33.7 % 
32.5 % 
71.4 % 
72.7 % 
73.7 % 
9.6 % 
9.9 % 
10.7 % 
v “Desquamate latera rubent, ac si minio vel rubrics tincta forent”: Willughby, 1. c. 
h Cuvier, 1. c., p. 439. 
4 Hist. Nat. Poiss. Fr., vol. II, p. 246. 
