NORWAY HADDOCK. 
151 
uniform size, the lowest 3, however, being broader and 
of a flatter, triangular shape in the larger (older) spe- 
cimens. The operculum is triangular, with two flat, 
spinous points behind at the top corner. The sub- 
operculum is long and narrow, lies under the lower 
posterior margin of the operculum, and at its juncture 
with the interoperculum bears a spine, which in older 
specimens has almost entirely vanished. At the be- 
ginning of the lateral line are two spines, which in old 
specimens, however, more or less completely disappear, 
the upper belonging to the posttemporal bone, the lower 
and posterior to the supraclavicular bone. The gill- 
rakers are of average length, set fairly close together 
and covered with line teeth on the inner side. 
The body is covered with middle-sized, firmly 
fixed and imbricate scales, fringed at the hind margin 
with filiform points, which render the body rough to 
the touch. Between these scales are everywhere in- 
serted the accessory scales mentioned above (see fig. 
42, a). They are most numerous and spread over the 
greatest part of' the body in the larger specimens. The 
head is also covered with scales, which towards the tip 
of the snout grow very small and resemble the ac- 
cessory scales of the body. The lateral line, which 
pierces only every other, every third or every fourth 
scale, has from 30 to 35 pores, and runs parallel to 
the dorsal line and much nearer it than the ventral 
line, except on the tail, where it follows the mesial 
line of the body. The vent is situated in the male 
slightly in front of, in the female exactly at the be- 
ginning of, the last third of the length of the body 
measured from the tip of the snout to the base of the 
caudal fin. At its hind margin is a protuberance or 
wart (the genital papilla), which is considerably longer 
and more pointed in the male than in the female, and 
probably serves as a copulatory organ. 
The dorsal fin begins above and slightly in front 
of the point of the gill-cover and occupies a part of 
the dorsal line which measures from 52 to 46 % of 
the length of the body, being generally relatively longer 
in small specimens. The last of its strong, spinous 
rays is usually distinctly longer than the last but one, 
and may therefore with reason be regarded as corre- 
sponding to the first ray in the second dorsal fin of 
those fishes, where two dorsal fins are present. The 
number of the soft rays varies between 13 and 16; 
and the first of these rays is in most cases undivided. 
The soft-rayed part of the fin is higher than the spinous- 
rayecl. The pectoral fins are large and rounded at the 
point. They are inserted beneath the second spinous 
ray of the dorsal fin. Their length, which relatively 
diminishes with age, measures in the smaller form over 
23 % and at most 27 % of the length of the body, in 
the larger form at most 22 % and at least 20 %. The 
number of rays in these fins is from 17 to 19, the 
larger form generally possessing the higher number. 
The uppermost two or three, as well as the lowest 8, 
9 or 10, are undivided; the middle ones (from 6 to 
9: the greater number in the larger specimens) are 
branched; the 9th, 10th and 11th are the longest. The 
ventral fins are inserted farther back than the pectoral. 
Their length, which undergoes the same changes due 
to age as that of the pectoral fins, measures in the 
smaller form more than 18 %, generally 19 or 20 %, 
of the length of the body, in the larger form from 16 
to 18 %. The distance between their insertion and the 
beginning of the anal fin is generally greater in the 
female than in the male, being in the former about 
30 %>, in the latter about 26 %, of the length of the 
body. The anal fin, which begins beneath the first 
soft ray of the dorsal, is higher than the latter; but 
the length of its base is only 12 or 13 % of the length 
of the body. The caudal fin, the hind margin of which 
is slightly concave, has 11 or 12 branched rays, and 
at the side of these, at the top and bottom, a varying 
number of undivided, supporting rays, 6 at the top 
and 4 at the bottom being generally distinctly visible 
externally. 
In most cases the colour of the head and the back 
is orange, gradually becoming lighter on the sides and 
shading into the white colour of the belly. On the 
dorsal sides, above the lateral line, are several dark, 
oblique spots, which vary, however, in number, shape 
and position, and which are generally wanting in the 
larger form. On the gill-cover, near the point, is an 
indistinct, large, black spot, which sometimes has one 
or two smaller spots at the lower margin. In the 
larger form this coloration of the gill -cover also dis- 
appears, as a rule. The fins are carnation superiorly, 
and paler towards the belly. The iris is bronze-coloured 
at the top, yellowish with a silvery lustre inferiorly, 
and has a fine brass-coloured ring round the pupil, 
which is dark-blue. 
This fish is of fairly common occurrence in the 
island-belt of Bohuslan, where it bears the names of 
Sjokock (Sea-cook), Karing (Hag), and Bergabborre 
