510 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
length being about 13 — 11 1 / 2 % of that of the body. 
The second anal tin is shorter in young specimens than 
the third dorsal, but in older ones the only differences 
between them are that the former is somewhat lower 
and situated rather farther back. The first three or 
four rays are simple. 
The caudal fin is more forked than in the Pollack, 
the hind margin being concave even when the fin is 
expanded to its full breadth. The middle rays are, 
however, comparatively of the same length as in the 
Pollack, their length being at least 1 / 6 greater than 
the least breadth of the interorbital space, and the 
least depth of the tail never rising as high as 2 / 3 of 
the length of these rays. 
The scales are thin and small as in most of the 
Cods, but somewhat larger than in the Pollack, im- 
bricated and striated. They cover the whole body, and 
small scales occur even on the snout and far out over 
the caudal fin. The lateral line forms a slight upward 
curve from behind at about the tip of the pectoral fins. 
The abdominal cavity extends behind the begin- 
ning of the first anal fin for about a third of the length 
of this fin. The stomach does not extend back to the 
vent. The pyloric appendages are well-developed, but 
comparatively few. The liver consists of one lobe, 
the right and — so far as we could discover in rather 
decomposed specimens — the left lobes are wanting. 
The peritoneum is of a lustrous black. 
In specimens preserved in spirits the colour of this 
species is the same as that of young specimens of the 
Pollack in the same condition, though a little darker 
olive brown on the back and lighter aluminium colour 
on the sides and the belly. The dorsal and caudal fins 
are dark brownish at the margin. A black spot marks 
the root of the pectoral fins and the upper part of the axil. 
We have never seen the species alive, but our coloured 
figure (PI. XXVII, A, fig. 1) will give a pretty good 
idea of a fresh specimen, as it appeared on its arrival 
at the Royal Museum, three days after its capture by 
Mr. C. A. Hansson, off Stromstad, on the 9th of De- 
cember, 1890. 
Gadus Esmarkii was first discovered in Christiania 
Fjord and seems to find a favourite haunt in this fjord, 
where, according to Collett, it is plentiful and taken 
daily in large numbers during the autumn and winter 
months, in deep water with a clayey bottom. It ge- 
nerally occurs in shoals, together with the Whiting. 
In January and February Collett found gravid females 
of this species. In autumn he found young specimens 
at least 40 mm. long in quantities among the netted 
Sprats. In the stomach of these specimens as well as 
in older ones he often found nothing but White Gobies 
( Aphya minuta), which thus seem to be the chief food 
of Gadus Esmarkii. Storm found this species spar- 
ingly represented among other small Cods in Trond- 
hjem Fjord. Farther north it has never been found. 
Lutken" received specimens from the Faroe Islands, 
but in the Shetland Islands and on the shores of Great 
Britain it is as yet unknown. 
The Royal Museum has received through Mr. C. A. 
Hansson several specimens, taken at a depth of about 
30 fathoms, from Bohuslan, but only from the imme- 
diate neighbourhood of Christiania Fjord, or from Strom- 
stad Fjord, Dynekil, and Sacke Fjord. 
Gadus Esmarkii is thus no rare species in Scan- 
dinavia, but seems to lie confined to certain localities; 
and its insignificant size debars it from possessing any 
considerable value in an economical respect. 
Vid. Meddel. Naturh. For. Ivblivn, 1881, p. 253. 
