526 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
THE LING (sw. langan). 
MOLUA MOLVA. 
Plate XXVI, fig. 2. 
Body elongated, almost Eel-shaped, the greatest depth being about 7n — 7s °f ^ ie length. Least depth of the 
body (about 4 1 / % — 5 % of the length) more than 19 % of the length of the head or than 3 / 5 of the length of the 
middle rays of the caudal fin. Total length of the head more than 1 / 5 , its postorbital length more than 1 / 10 , of 
the length of the body. Base of the first dorsal fin more than 7io °f ^ ie length of the body “ or than 1 / 5 of the 
base of the second dorsal fin, and at least about greater than the height of the first dorsal fin. Distance be- 
tween the beginning of the second dorsal fin and the tip of the snout more than 38 % of the length of the body, 
and the length of the base of this fin less than 1 / 2 that of the body. Base of the anal fin less than the distance 
between this fin and the tip of the snout , and at most about 40 or 41 % of the length of the body. Coloration 
above grayish brown in old specimens and brownish red in young, below white or grayish; outer part of the pec- 
toral fins yellow; the two dorsal fins and the anal fin with a black spot on the posterior part. 
Iris yellow, with a reddish 
R. hr. 7: D. 14 J — 16|60— 68 c ; A. 57—65 a ; P. 1 8 — 19 e ; 
V. 6; C. .z+24— 30 f + x; Vert. 64— G5. 
Syn. Asellus longus, Schonev., Ichthyol. Slesv. Holst., p. 18; Molva 
major, Charleton, Onom. Zoic., p. 121; Gadns No. 9, Art., 
Gen., p. 22; Syn., p. 36; Lin., It. Wgoth., p. 177; Lingue, 
Duh., Peek., part. II, sect. I, p. 145, tab. XXV, fig. 1. 
Gadus Molva, Lin., Syst. Nat., ed. X, tom I, p. 254; Fn. 
Suec., ed. II, p. 113; Retz., Fn. Suec. Lin., p. 322; Faber, 
Fisch. Isl., p. 86; Nilss. {Molva), Prodr. Ichth. Scand., 
p. 45; Schagerste. ( Gadus ), Physiogr. Sallsk. Tidskr., p. 
302; Parn. (Lota), Mem. Weru. Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. VII, 
p. 352; Kr., Damn. Fistce, vol. 2, p. 153; Mgrn, Finl. 
Fisk. (disp. Helsingfors), p. 30; Mor., Hist. Nat. Poiss. 
Fr., tom. Ill, p. 258; Mob., Hcke, Fisch. Osts ., p. 82. 
Molva vulgaris, Flmng, Brit. Anim., p. 192; Nilss., Skand. 
Fn., Fisk., p. 573; Gthr, Cat. Brit. Mus., Fish., vol. IV, 
p. 361; Coll., Forli. Vid. Selsk. Christ. 1874, Tillsegsli., p. 
115; N. Mag. Naturv. Christ., Bd. 29 (1884), p. 84; 
Winth., Naturh. Tidskr. Kbhvn, ser. Ill, vol. XII, p. 32; 
Day, Fish. Gt. Brit., Irel., vol. I, p. 305, tab. LXXXVI; 
Mela, Vert. Fenn., p. 302, tab. IX; Storm (Lota), Norsk. 
Vid. Selsk. Skr. Trondhj. 1883, p. 35; Lillj. (Molva), So., 
Norg. Fisk., vol. 2, p. 131; Hansen, Zool. Dan., Fiske, 
p. 81, tab. X, fig. 2. 
Gadus raptor, Nilss., Prodr. Ichth. Scand., p. 46; Schagerstr., 
1. c. 
Molva Linnet, Malm, Gbgs, Boh. Fn., p. 491. 
The common Ling, as hinted above, comes so near 
the preceding species that a minute description of it is 
a In young specimens, however, sometimes 1 / , 0 of the length 
6 Sometimes 13. 
c „ 70. 
d ,, 66 . 
e „ 20 or 21. 
I 38 — 39, according to Lilljeborg. 
9 Brit. Zool. (177 6), tom. Ill, p. 174. 
h Hist. Fish. Brit. Isl., vol. Ill, p. 92. 
golden ring next the pupil. 
hardly necessary. However, it attains a much more 
considerable size. Even on the coast of Bohuslan and 
in Christiania Fjord specimens 16 or 17 dm. long may 
be found. We cannot say whether it grows much 
larger in other localities; but Pennant’s statements that 
he had been told of a specimen 7 feet (21 dm.) long, 
has been adopted in literature, and Couch 7 * 9 * had heard 
of a Ling from the Scilly Islands 124 lbs. (56 kgm.) 
in weight, and thus considerably above the ordinary 
size, a Ling 5 1 / 2 ft. long weighing only about 70 lbs. 
(32 kgm.). As a rule too, the body is somewhat deeper 
than that of Molua dipterygia, a fact which appears 
most distinctly in the least depth of the tail. But in 
all other respects the two species are so similar in 
form that here too we find the break in the regular 
backward convergence of the dorsal and ventral lines 
which coincides with the origin of the last dorsal and 
anal fins in the Cods, and which we thus have traced 
from the Hake, with its indication of a division in the 
posterior dorsal and anal fins, to the Ling, where this 
indication seems to be entirely wanting. 
The head is distinguished from that of Molua 
dipterygia partly by its somewhat greater length — 
of the body. 
