134 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
structure. Their spinous ray is considerably stunted 
in growth, and is firmly united to the base of the first 
soft ray. The latter, on the other hand, is all the 
longer, is closely and distinctly articulated, but simple 
(undivided), and on the outside has a dermal fold, 
which is broader at the middle and generally marked 
with transverse stripes, and which gives this ray an 
acinaciform shape. The second soft ray is so deeply 
branched, that it appears to be formed of two rays: 
inside of this ray we sometimes find in some species, 
at its base, a small cartilaginous disk, which is perhaps 
to be regarded as a remnant of those parts of these 
fins which have disappeared with this exception. 
The singular appearance of the Batrachoids is fur- 
ther enhanced by the filaments which fringe the cheeks 
and the margins of the jaws (lips), and often occur 
even on the upper margin of the orbit. 
The suborbital ring is very little developed; it is 
generally without any osseous structure whatever". 
In order to comprehend the relation of these fishes 
to the other Anomalopteri, especially to the Gobio- 
morphi it is of interest to remember the observation 
made by Storer, that the fry are furnished with a 
ventral disk, which disappears with age, and with 
which they attach themselves to stones and rocks. 
The family contains only few species 6 , most of 
them belonging to the tropic seas. 
Genus BATRACHUS. 
Three spinous rays in the first dorsal fin. Suboperculum and operculum furnished with spines. Head naked; 
the trunk with or without scales. Caudal fin with about 12 branched rays. 
Obs. Jordan and Gilbert 0 suggest another definition of this 
genus, in which, according to their opinion, the European species 
should not be included. They refer to this genus only those species 
which are completely destitute of scales. Whatever principles are to 
be followed in the definition of the genera — convenience alone 
cannot demand many genera within a family with so few species — 
the European species must, in any case, be retained within the genus 
Batrachus, for this species, as even Jordan and Gilbert mention, 
was the generic type employed by Block-Schneider (1. c.), who in- 
troduced the genus into the system. 
If we retain Gunther’s division of this family into 
genera, most of the species belonging to it must be 
referred to this genus, which consists of voracious 
shore-fishes, belonging to the tropic and temperate seas, 
and living on small fishes, crustaceans and mollusks. 
THE EUROPEAN TOAD-FISH. 
BATRACHUS DIDACTYLUS. 
(Plate X, fig. 1). 
Trunk covered with scales. The axillary sac opens into the upper corner of the axil. Three opercular spines, 
the two uppermost belonging to the operculum proper , the lower one to the suboperculum. Jaw-teeth and palatine 
teeth pointed. No filaments above the eye ■ Second dorsal fin with 20 (21) rays; anal with 16 (17). 
R. hr. 6; D. 3/20 1. 21 d ; A. 16 1. 17; P. 22—25°; F. l jp, 
(JJ x + 12 + x. 
Syn. Gadus Tail, Bloch, Naturg. Fish. Deutschl., II, p. 170, tab. 
LXVII, fig. 2 et 3 ; Bl., Schn. (Batrachus), Syst. Ichthyol., p.44. 
Batrachus didactylus , Bl., Schn., 1. c., p. 42; Gthr, Cat. 
Brit. Mus., Fish., Ill, p. 170; Steind., Stzber. Akad. Wiss. 
Wien, Math. Naturw. Cl., LVII (1868), I, p. 419, tab. V; 
Malm, Gbgs , Boh. Fn., p. 466; Winth., Naturh. Tidskr. 
Kbhvn, ser. 3, vol. XII, p. 21; Hansen, Zool. Dan., Fiske, 
a A preorbital bone, however, is sometimes present, e. g. in Batrachus Pacifici. 
b 12 species, distributed among the three genera mentioned above, are adopted in Gunther’s Catalogue. 
c Syn. Fish. A 7 . Amer ., Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 16, p. 750. 
d Sometimes 22, according to Steindaciiner. 
e According to Steindachner: in Nilsson’s specimen we have found P. 1+20 + 1. 
/ C. 13 according to Nilsson. The caudal fin of the specimen is damaged. Bloch found only 12. Agassiz found only 10 branched 
rays in the caudal fin. In a specimen from Cadiz, the original of our figure, and obtained for us by Prof. Steindachner, we find C. 2 + 12 
+ 1. In another specimen from Cadiz, presented to the Royal Museum by Professor Giglioli of Florence, C. 1 + 12 + 2. 
