498 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
The question still remains whether the Bib and the 
Poor Cod are really distinct species. Up to this point 
we have followed the opinion maintained by Feies in 
the former edition of this work and the generally ac- 
cepted one. In most cases too, the characters given in 
the above diagnoses should be sufficient to prove the 
specific distinction. Steindachner has remarked, how- 
ever, that the difference in the depth of the body is 
merely a character of age". He has also referred to the 
same category the character given by Moreau and 
Gunther and derived from the distinct separation of 
the anal fins in Gadus minutus and their union in G. 
luscus. The length of the snout in proportion to that 
of the body affords no constant difference, though it 
follows the rule of the changes of growth and is greater 
in the larger Bib; and the size of the eyes has been 
long since ascertained to undergo a relative diminution 
with increasing age. We are further met by the in- 
dividual variations. Thus, in the largest Poor Cod 
measured by Kroyer the greatest depth of the body, 
contrary to the general rule, is at least somewhat greater 
than the length of the head; and this variation goes 
still further in one of Fries’s type-specimens of this spe- 
cies which is still preserved in the Royal Museum. In 
this specimen, which is 163 mm. long, the greatest 
depth of the body is 24 % of its length, while the length 
of the head is only 22’/ 2 % thereof. In the largest spe- 
cimen from Christiania Fjord examined by Collett, the 
length of the head was somewhat less than 22 % of the 
length of the body, but the greatest depth very nearly 26%. 
The natural connexion between the forms is best 
illustrated, however, by a reference to the average 
changes of growth in the relations which apparently 
show constant differences. Partly on this account, and 
partly instead of a fuller description of the Bib, we 
here give the following table. 
A 
Gadus 
v e r a g e i 
minutus 
n 
G. luscus 
Maximum or minimum 
in these specimens 
3 specimens. 
2 specimens. 
3 specimens. 
G. minutus 
G. luscus 
Length of the body expressed in millimetres 
152 
207 
305 
_ 
_ 
,, „ „ head in % of the length of the body 
22.9 
23.o 
24.7 
<24 
>24 
Distance between the first dorsal fin and the tip of the snout ,, „ ,, ., ,, .. 
27.i 
27.5 
29.6 
— 
— 
,, „ ,, second ,, .. ,, „ ,, ,, 
37.8 
38.9 
43.3 
<40 
>42 
?? n third ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, v ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 
63.5 
63.5 
66.8 
— 
— 
Length of the base of the third dorsal fin „ ,, „ ,, ,, ,, ,, 
16.9 
16.i 
13.0 
->15 
<14 
„ •, „ „ „ first anal „ „ „ „ ,. „ „ ,. 
27.7 
29.8 
35.6 
<32 
>33 
„ „ pectoral fins „ „ „ „ „ „ „ 
15.7 
16.2 
18.0 
<17 
>17 
„ „ „ ventral „ „ „ „ 
12.i 
14.2 
15.6 
<15 
>15 
Longitudinal diameter of the eyes ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, . ... 
7.4 
7.2 
6.5 
— 
— 
Breadth of the hind extremity of the maxillary bones ,, ,, „ ,, „ ,, „ 
2.o 
2.4 
2.7 
<2.5 
>2.6 
» i) n » » » „ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ lower jaw 
18.2 
20.6 
22.7 
<21 
>21 
„ „ ,, ,, ,, „ ,, ,, „ in % of the longitudinal diam. of the eye 
28.4 
33.7 
40.7 
<.35 
>38 
Breadth of the interorbital space in % of the base of the third dorsal fin 
31.3 
34.4 
43.9 
<35 
>42 
Length of the snout in % of that of the base of the first anal fin 
23.9 
22.3 
19.9 
— 
— 
Distance between the ventral fins and the beginning of the first anal fin in % of the length of the body 
15.5 
15.2 
11.7 
— 
— 
v » >! ,i >, „ ,, „ „ „ „ „ ., „ „ „ „ „ „ „ pectoral fin 
98.7 
95.3 
65.2 
>84 
<76 
„ „ „ ,, „ „ „ „ ,, „ „ „ ,, „ „ „ „ base of the first anal fin 
55.9 
51.9 
32.8 
>46 
< 38 
Base of the first anal fin in % of the distance between this fin and the tip of the snout 
75.i 
83.2 
99.2 
<85 
>86 
,. „ ,, second „ ,, ,, ,, .. „ base of the first.. 
61.3 
53.2 
44.2 
>49 
<47 
Least depth of the tail in % of the length of the body 
4.4 
4.7 
6.o 
<5 
>5 
„ „ ,, ,, „ „ ,, ,, ,, „ middle rays of the caudal fin 
51.i 
56.o 
60.3 
<57 
>57 
v >j » n ii ii ii ii ii ii ii ii snout 
„ „ ,, „ ,, ,, „ ,, ,, distance from the tip of the snout to the hind extremity of the 
66.3 
71.5 
84.7 
<77 
>77 
maxillary bones 
40.3 
43.3 
56.5 
<45 
>51 
„ „ ,, ,. „ ,, ,. „ „ length of the lower jaw 
38.5 
40.4 
52.3 
<42 
>49 
„ „ „ „ „ „ ,. „ „ base of the first dorsal fin 
37.2 
43.2 
51.i 
<45 
>48 
» » ii ii ii • i ii ii i ■ -i ii third „ 
26.o 
29.6 
48.2 
<30 
>44 
Greatest thickness of the body in % of its length 
10.5 
10.6 
12.2 
<11 
>11 
° Even Kroyer’s measurements show the following result in Gadus minutus : 
Length of the body expressed in millimetres. 
Greatest depth of the body in % of the length of the body . 
173 
21.4 
190 
22.3 
222 
23. i 
