516 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
1874, Tillsegsh., p. 114; Winth., Naturh. Tidskr. Kbhvn, 
ser. 3, vol. XII, p. 31; Gtgl., Espos. Intern. Pesc. Berlino 
1880, Sez. I tal . Cat., p. 96; Mor. ( Merlucius ), Hist. Nat. 
Poiss. Fr., torn. Ill, p. 251; Day ( Merluccius ), Fish. Gt. 
Brit., Irel., vol. I, p. 300, tab. LXXXV, fig. 1 ; Apostol. 
(Merlucius), Peche en Grece, p. 29; Mob., Hoke ( Merluc - 
cius), Fisch. Osts., p. 80; Olsen, Piscat. Atl., tab. 19; 
Storm, N. Vid. Selsk. Skr. Trondhj. 1883, p. 34; Bncke, 
Handb. Fiscliz. Fischer. (M. v. d. Borne), p. 105. 
Merlucius sinuatus, Swains., Fish., Amphib., Kept., vol. I, p. 
319, fig. 73, vol. II, p. 390. 
Merluccius Linnei, Malm, Gbgs, Boh. Fn., p. 489. 
The Hake often attains a length of 12 din., but 
in Scandinavian waters it is generally of a smaller size. 
The following description is based on eight specimens 
preserved in spirits, from the Sound, Bolnislan, and the 
Mediterranean, the largest specimen 64 cm. long, the 
smallest 16 cm., and on a note left by Fries, which 
contains the dimensions of a new-caught specimen 6 
dm. long. 
Our Hake is most easily distinguished from its 
recognised congeners" by its shorter pectoral tins and 
broader forehead, by the smaller number of rays in the 
first dorsal fin, and by the generally shorter base of 
this fin. 
The middle rays of flic caudal fin measure ViY; 
and the length of the head to the tip of the operculum 
slightly more than 1 / 4 c , of the total length of the body, 
including the caudal fin. The greatest depth of the 
body is V 6 °f the total length d , and the greatest breadth 
or thickness at least about V 3 of the former. 
The scales are firmly attached and large in com- 
parison with those of the other Codfishes, though the 
largest scales of a Hake 245 mm. long are not more 
than about 2 mm. in length, and in a specimen 42 cm. 
long not more than about 3 mm. broad. On an aver- 
age we find 145 scales in a row along the sides of the 
body below the lateral line, the variations apparently 
running between 138 and 154. They are regularly 
arranged, rounded, and distinctly imbricated. One pe- 
culiarity of their structure has already been remarked 
in part by Kroyer. In the genus Gachis in general 
both the concentric and the radiating stria; are fairly 
distinct and almost equally defined, the thin and trans- 
parent scale presenting under the microscope a chequered 
appearance, with oblong, square patches raised above 
the surface. In the Hake, on the other hand, at least 
in young specimens between 2 and 3 dm. long, only 
the concentric, raised stria are quite distinct when only 
moderately magnified. Beneath a powerful microscope, 
however, a network of finer stria between the concentric 
ones appears on the hind (free) and more rounded part 
of each scale; and on the anterior (concealed) part of 
the scale, which is rather more pointed, the spaces be- 
tween the concentric stria are irregularly broken up 
into elongated markings (lacuna * 6 ), as it were notched 
at the margin. 
The head is conical and anteriorly depressed, the 
circumference, seen from above, being parabolic^ The 
upper surface is fairly broad, convex or more nearly 
flat, the profile being straight without any depressions 
or ridges in fresh specimens. The W-shaped figure is 
thus rather indistinct. A uniform covering of small 
scales extends forward to the upper lip, which is how- 
ever naked. The least breadth of the interorbital space 
varies between 7 and 8 % of the length of the body, 
25 and 30 % of the total length of the head, about 50 
(sometimes 49) and 60 % of the postorbital length of 
the head, or 72 and 85 % of the base of the first dorsal 
fin. The japercula and the sides of the head are scaly. 
The eye is round, closely surrounded by the well-defined 
margin of the rather oblong orbit. The hind margin 
of the latter generally lies nearly at the middle of the 
length of the head, though the postorbital length of the 
head varies between 467 2 and 53 % of its total length. 
The length of the ejrn itself varies between about 1 8 1 / 2 
% of the length of the head (in specimens 16 cm. long) 
and about 14 % thereof (in specimens 64 cm. long), 
being in young specimens generally rather more, in 
“ The North American Merlucius bilinearis , from the Atlantic, and Merl. productus from the Pacific. 
6 Varying, according to our measurements, between 9 (sometimes 8) and 10 %. 
c Varying, according to our measurements, between about 28 and 25 % (sometimes 24V.o %)■ 
d Varying, according to our measurements, between about 13 and 16 ~j 3 %. In v. Wright’s figure, however, which is certainly true 
to nature, the depth of the body is still greater. 
e Cf. Baudelot, Ecailles des poissons osseux , Arch Zool. Exper., tome 2 (1873), pi. VII, fig. 4. 
f The head is very like that of the Pike, and this resemblance is still further enhanced by the appearance of the teeth. Hence the 
name of Merlucius, a shorter form of viaris lucius (Sea-Pike). The derivation suggested by Faber, from man's lux has nothing to recommend 
it, for this fish is by no means one of the brightest in the regions where the name has originated, though in northern latitudes the rather 
lustrous surface of its body has given rise to the name of Lysing (Shiner). 
