506 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
about 42 — 47 % of the length of the body, and its 
base measures about 1 7 1 / 2 — 20 1 / 2 of the same length. 
It is generally somewhat lower than the first dorsal 
fin, and only the first ray is simple. The second and 
third rays are the longest. The distance between the 
beginning of the third dorsal fin and the tip of the 
snout is about 66 — 69 % of the length of the body, 
and the length of its base about 13 or 14 % thereof. 
The first three or four rays are simple, and the third, 
fourth, and fifth the longest, measuring about 10 — 7 % 
of the length of the body. 
The membrane of the anal fins is also covered 
with scales. The first anal fin begins at a distance 
from the tip of the snout of between about 36 and 
measures about 30 — 3172 0/0 thereof. The first six rays 
are simple, the seventh and eighth the longest, in young 
Pollacks about equal in length to the distance between 
this fin and the ventral fins, in old much less, some- 
times no more than 1172 0// ° °f the length of the body. 
The second anal fin is as usual analogous to the third 
dorsal both in length and in height. Its first four rays 
are simple, and the fifth ray is the longest. 
The caudal fin is perfectly truncate at the margin 
when expanded, but at other times slightly forked. 
The length of its middle rays is about 7 or 7 x / 2 % of 
that of the body, and always greater than the least 
depth of the tail, which measures about 78 — 90 % of 
the former length. This fin is also entirely covered 
with fine scales. 
Though the coloration of the Pollack is highly 
variable, it is still to some extent characteristic. The 
back is of a dark, olive-brown colour, which is sharply 
set off by a distinct line of demarcation from the silver- 
gray or aluminium colour of the belly and sides. This 
line runs quite straight, as though it were drawn with 
a ruler, from the upper corner of the gill-opening to 
the bottom of the upper third of the base of the caudal 
fin. The ground-colour is diversified by a coarse- 
meshed, irregular network of a dark, flame-yellow co- 
lour, which varies in different specimens, being faint 
or distinct, continuous or replaced by spots, As a 
rule this network appears in middle-aged specimens as 
shown in the figure. In young specimens it is much 
lighter and more distinct, while in older ones only 
traces of it are visible, and after death it disappears 
altogether. All the fins, except the ventral, are of the 
brown colour of the back, and the dorsal fins are 
adorned with more or less distinct flame-yellow stripes 
or spots. The ventral fins, especially in young Pol- 
lacks, are of a bright yellowish colour. The lateral line 
is greenish. The iris is silvery, with a fairly broad, 
yellowish-brown ring surrounding a very narrow, lighter 
ring which bounds the pupil. 
The vent lies at about the middle of the abdo- 
minal cavity. The peritoneum is silvery. The air- 
bladder is very long, longer than the abdominal cavity, 
its hind extremity penetrating into the passage formed 
by the downward processes (hamial arches) of the caudal 
vertebras. With these exceptions there is no difference 
worthy of mention between the internal organs of this 
species and those of the preceding one. 
The geographical range of the Pollack is still more 
restricted than that of the Coalfish. It belono-s to the 
o 
north-east of the Atlantic, and hardly penetrates into 
the Arctic Ocean, though solitary specimens are some- 
times taken even in Varanger Fjord and Ox Fjord in 
the north of Finmark. Collett places the northern 
boundary of its true habitat in the neighbourhood of 
Trondhjem. To the South, however, there is better 
evidence of its occurrence than of that of the Coalfish 
on the coast of the Spanish Peninsula, where Steix- 
dachner found it to be common off Galicia, but rarer 
on the coast of Portugal. On the English coast, ac- 
cording to Buckland", the Pollack is “one of the com- 
monest fish, and is found on all our coasts where the 
nature of the ground is suitable to its habits. Its 
haunts are upon rocky ground, and at no great distance 
from the land.” This statement also applies to every 
rocky part of the west coast of France; but the Pollack 
has been observed even on the sandy coast of Holland, 
though, like the Coalfish, only on rare occasions 6 . 
On the west coast of Sweden the Pollack is known by 
several names, e. g. Blanksej , Sejlyra, Plank , Lyrbleck , 
Lerbleking etc., and in Norway it is called Lyr and 
Lyrtorsk. It is fairly common on the south coast of 
Norway as well as in Bohuslan, in part of Halland, 
and off Kullen. It is taken there plentifully, especially 
during the summer months. It is “spread over all the 
Danish waters,” according to Winther; and is sold in 
“ Nat. Iiist. Brit. Fish., p. 190. 
b See Van Bemmelen In Herklots, Bouivstoffen voor eene Fauna van Nederland , Deel. Ill, p. 352. 
