COALFISH. 
501 
slightly more than 5 % of its length. The back as well 
as the belly is rather thick and convex throughout its 
length. 
The head is of a pointed, cuneiform shape and 
middle-sized, its length being in young Coal fish about 
26 %, in adult ones 24 — 23 1 / 2 %, of the length of the 
body. In young specimens the eyes are fairly large, 
measuring nearly 1 / i of the length of the head, but in 
older ones this proportion sinks almost to 1 / 6 . They 
are set so high that the line drawn from the tip of the 
snout to the middle of the caudal fin cuts the eye into 
two equal parts. The distance between the eyes, which 
is about 7 % of the length of the body, may be equal 
in young specimens to the length of the snout; but in 
older specimens the distance between the eye and the 
tip of the snout grows distinctly longer, though it never 
exceeds 5 / 4 of the least breadth of the interorbital 
space. The nasal cavities — - each with its pair of round 
nostrils set close to each other, the posterior larger than 
the anterior, which is slightly cucullate — lie in young 
Coalfish twice, in older ones nearly three times, as far 
from the tip of the snout as from the eye. The mouth 
is only slightly cleft. The jaws are of almost the same 
length in young Coalfish, but during growth the tip of 
the lower jaw advances more and more. In full-grown 
Coalfish there is generally no barbel under the chin, 
but in young specimens, and sometimes in old, here as 
in the Whiting, a small barbel is present (see Day’s 
figure for example). The teeth in the maxillary cards 
are small and of almost uniform size, those in the outer- 
most row being slightly larger than the rest. In the 
lower jaw they are set in two rows in front and in one 
behind. On the head of the vomer there are two rows, 
set in an obtuse angle open behind. The gill-covers 
are smooth, with the several bones so closely united 
that they apparently form a single whole; the margin 
is rounded and smooth. The operculum has a blunt 
tip, set high above the base of the pectoral fin. The 
gill-openings are large. A broad strip of the bran- 
chiostegal membrane of one side of the body is united 
to that of the other side, lying across the isthmus, but 
not attached to the latter. The gill-rakers are pectinal 
in the outer row on the first branchial arch, in the 
other rows more tubercular and scattered, though rather 
high. The tongue is smooth and white, with dark 
edges and broad tip. 
The body, cheeks, and face, and the bases of the 
fin-rays are covered with fine, imbricated scales. The 
lateral line is almost straight, begins at the upper mar- 
gin of the gill-opening, slopes slightly downward along 
the body, and advances along the middle of the sides 
of the tail. 
The vent lies at a distance from the tip of the 
snout equal to about 36 — 39 % of the length of the body. 
The first dorsal fin is, as usual, short and in front 
high with rounded corner. Its base measures about 1 0 1 / 2 
— 13 % of the length of the body, and its height about 
9V 2 — 12 % thereof. It begins about half-way between 
the perpendiculars from the insertion of the ventral fins 
and from the anal aperture, at a distance from the tip 
of the snout measuring between about 32 % (sometimes 
30 x / 2 %) and 33 % of the length of the body. It usually 
contains 12 or 13 rays, the first two simple, the others 
branched at the tip. The second and longest dorsal fin, 
the base of which measures about 19 — 21 \ 2 % of the 
length of the body, is highest in front, sometimes even 
higher than the preceding fin, and very sloping. It begins 
in young Coalfish almost vertically above the beginning 
of the first anal fin, in older specimens a little farther 
back. It is usually made up of 20 rays, the first two 
simple, the others branched. The third dorsal fin re- 
sembles the second in shape, but is much shorter, its 
base measuring about 13 or 14 % of the length of the 
body, and much lower, its height being about 6 or 7 % 
of the length of the body. It is also composed in most 
cases of 20 rays, the first three of which are simple. 
The first anal fin resembles the second dorsal, and 
the distance between it and the tip of the snout is 
about 42 — 44 % of the length of the body. The length 
of its base, which relatively decreases during growth, 
measures about 32 — 27 % of that of the body. It 
usually contains 25 — 27 rays, the first five simple and 
shorter than the sixth, which is the longest and, like 
the following rays, branched at the tip. The second 
anal fin is analogous to the third dorsal, and is gener- 
ally composed of 21 or 22 rays, the first three 
simple and shorter than the fourth, which is longest 
»> 
and, like the rest, branched at the tip. 
The caudal fin is deeply forked, with pointed lobes. 
The length of its middle rays is only slightly more 
than, or even equal to, the least depth of the tail. 
The pectoral fins, the length of which is about 
14 — 13 % of that of the body, are set high and obli- 
quely pointed, but rounded at the tip. They are made 
up of about 20 rays, the uppermost two simple. The 
ventral fins are very small, their length being about 
