128 
SCANDINAVIAN FISIIES. 
Genus TRACHINXJS. 
Head slightly broader ( thicker ) than the trunk. Gape distinctly vertical. Cardiform teeth on the jaws, the vomer, 
the palatine and the pterygoid bones. Tongue smooth. A strong, pointed spine on the operculum. Preoperculum 
and preorbital bones dentated, but sometimes with the dentations hidden by the skin a . Six or seven strong, pungent , 
spinous rays in the first dorsal fin. Lower rays of the pectoral fins undivided or at least with free tips. Scales 
of the body small, and arranged in distinct, oblique, transverse rows. Branchiostegal rays 6. Pseudobran cliice 
distinct. Pyloric appendages few, usually 6. No air-bladder. Branched rays in the caudal fin 10 or 11. 
The genus Trachinus, in which live very closely 
related species are recorded 6 , in its geographical range 
has the peculiarity that it is known only in the Medi- 
terranean, the west coasts of Europe and Africa, and 
the west coast of S. America, while from the west of 
the Atlantic we have no information of a single species 
of the genus. 
THE GREAT WEEVER (say. FJAIiSINGEN). 
TRACHINUS DRACO. 
(Plate IV, fig. 3.) 
Preorbital spine short, dentoid, turned downwards and outwards in a forward direction. Two or three supraorbital 
spines above the anterior upper corner of the orbit. First dorsal fin black, with 6 spinous rays; the second with 
about 30 rays, and the anal with about 32. Cheeks scaly. Greatest depth of the body from 15 to 19 % of the length. 
2 
R. hr. 6; D. 6 c /28— 31 d ; A. — - — • — ; P. 1 1. 2 + 8 ad 
10 + 6 1. 5 ; V. V 5 ; O. a\ + 1 1 + x. 
Syn. Jqcxvm)v, Aristot. cett.: vide Art., Ichth., Syn., p. 70. 
Trachinus draco , Lin., Syst. Nat., ed. X, tom. I, p. 250; Brunn., 
Ichth. Massil., p. 19; Risso, Ichtli. Nice, p. 108: Id., Eur. 
Mer., vol. Ill, p. 260; Cuv., Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 
Ill, p. 238; Nilss., Prodr. Ichth. Sc., p. 90; Fries, Ekstk. 
et Weight, Skand. Fiskar, ed. 1, p. 13, pi. 3, fig. 1; 
Kr 0 Y., Damn. Fislce, vol. I, p. 55; Nordm. in Dem., Voy. 
Bus. Mer., vol. Ill, p. 370; Costa, Fn. Reyn. Nap., part. 
1, Acantotterigi Percoidei, Trachini, p. 1; Nilss., Skand. 
Fn., Fisk., p. 40; Gthk, Cat. Brit. Mus., Fish., vol. II, 
p. 233; Steind., Stzber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math. Naturw. 
CL, LVI (1867), 1, p. 696; Coll., Vid. Selsk. Forh. Christ., 
1874, Tillaegsh., p. 42; Schmidt, Nord. Medic. Ark. 1874, 
No. 2; Malm, Gbgs, Boh. Fn., p. 407; Winth., Zool. Dan. 
Fislce, p. 7, tab. 1, fig. 6; Id., Naturh. Tidskr., Kbbvn, 
ser. 3, vol. XII, p. 11; Day, Fish. G:t Brit., Irel., vol. I, 
p. 79, tab. XXX; Lillj., Sv., Norg. Fiskar, vol. 1, p. 82; 
Mor., Hist. Nat. Poiss. Fr., vol. 2, p. 98; Mob., IIcke, 
Fische der Ostsee, p. 41. 
Ohs. It seems highly probable that the South European forms 
Trachinus araneus and Tv. radiatus which were distinguished by Cuvier, 
following Salvianus and Delaroche, may be regarded as being merely 
deep-sea forms and colour-varieties of the same species as Tr. draco. 
Steindachnicr (1. c.) has pointed out the near relation between the 
first-mentioned forms; and the character (with the exception of the 
coloration) on which Cuvier and his successors grounded the species 
Trachinus araneus, the 7 rays in the first dorsal fin, has long ago 
been pointed out by KR0YER in Tr. draco. For the further elucida- 
tion of this point I may adduce a specimen of the Weever, a male 
a In one species (from Chili) the preorbital bone is described as having a long, recurved spine, but it generally has one or two 
pointed or blunt protuberances instead. 
5 A proof of the slightness of the specific differences within this genus is given by Knee (Stzber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math. 
Naturw. Cl. LVI, 1 (1867), p. 717), who found no other difference between Trachinus draco and a Weever from Iquique than the smaller 
height (more elongated form) of the latter. Cf. Gunther, Cat. Brit. Mus., 1. c. The generic name Trachinus owes its existence to Artedi 
{Ichth., part. II, p. 74): “a zgaygivog, asper, scabcr , quia ossicula pinnae dorsalis valde aspera et aculeata sunt”. Cuvier’s derivation of the 
name from Opa/Mivct thus finds no support with Artedi. 
c Sometimes 7, according to Kedyer. 
