58 F IS H E S .
I n a sp e c im en p re s e rv e d in s p ir it, tb e b in e a n d o ra n g e h a v e e n t i r e ly d is a p p e a r e d , a n d th e y ellow
rem a in s o n ly o n th e fins, w h e re i t is in d is tin c t. T h e co lo u rs a re p a le b row n a n d b la c k , w ith a p a tc h
o f w h ite in f ro n t o f th e do rsa l fin. T h e g ro u n d c o lo u r is p a le b row n . T h e m id d le o f th e s id e s a n d
th e b a c k a r e th ic k ly m a rk e d w ith b la c k sp o ts o f v a rio u s sizes, which a r c oc c a sio n a lly so close ly s e t a s
to g iv e a n a p p e a r a n c e o f b a n d s c ro s s in g th e s id e s : o n e o f th e s e o c cu rs u n d e r th e firs t d o rs a l ; tw o
u n d e r th e se co n d ; a n d o ne n e a r th e c a u d a l. T h e sp o ts o f th e u n d e r p a r t s o f th e side s a re la rg e r a n d
m o re ir r e g u la r in fo rm , a n d som ew h a t c lo u d ed . T h e fins a r e s p o tte d o n th e ra y s w ith fuscous, th e a n a l
m o re n am e ro u s ly th a n th e d o r s a l ; th e c a u d a l is d a rk e r a t th e tip , a n d h a s a d a rk e r b a n d p a s s in g
th ro u g h th e m id d le o f its m em b ra n e ; th e p e c to ra l is a lm o st b la c k a t its b a s e , tr a n s p a r e n t in th e
s u c c e e d in g m em b ra n e , a n d d a rk e r tow a rd s th e tip ; i t is sp o tte d a lo n g th e ray s . T h e n a k e d s k in a b o v e
a n d be low th e p o s te r io r s n b o rb ita l b o n e is b la c k .
O u r fig u re is ta k e n from a sp e c im e n b ro u g h t hom e b y C a p ta in B e lc h e r , R . N ., a n d p r e s e n te d by
him to th e M u s e um o f th e Z o o lo g ic a l S o c ie ty : i t is co lo u red from a d r aw in g p re s e rv e d b y M r. B e e ch ey .
C o t t u s c l a v i g e r . Cuv.êç Val.
Colt, eorpore anficè lato ; lineâ lateraU incunâ tmtricaiâ; prcBoperctdx spinâ elongatâ interné bispinosû.
D . r , 14. ^ . 1 1 , c . I I . p . 16. Y. 3.
PLATE XVI. FIGG. 1 ,2 .
Cottus claviger. Cuv. S;Val., Hist. Nat. des Poîss. torn. 4 .p . 1 9 5 ./> /.7 9 ./. 2.
Hab. in Avatscha Bay, Kamtschatka.
A sp e c im en b ro u g h t h om e b y th e e x p e d itio n , a n d su b seq u en tly d ep o s ited in th e B ritish M u s e um ,
fu rn is h e d to M . V a le n c ie n n e s th e m a te ria ls fo r th e d e s c r ip tio n a n d fig u re p u b lish e d in th e work
ab o v e re f e r r e d to. T h e d e s c r ip tio n , e x c e p t p e rh a p s a s r e g a rd s tb e n um b e r o f th e fin -ray s , is a s co rre c t
a s th e h a d s ta te o f t h e sp e c im en w o u ld p e rm it : b u t tb e fig u re is in su ffic ien t to giv e a s a tis fa c to ry id e a o f
th e fish, wh ich r e q u ir e s a lso to b e r e p r e s e n te d a s s e e n from ab o v e . W h e n th u s s e e n , i t b e a rs so g re a t
a re s em b la n c e to th e Cottus diceraus, P a ll., th a t w e a t f irs t r e g a rd e d i t a s th e y o u n g o f th a t sp e c ie s,
from w h ic h i t s c a rc e ly d iffe rs e x c e p t in th e som ew h a t g r e a te r d is ta n c e in te rp o s e d b e tw e e n th e d o rs a l
fins, a n d th e e x is te n c e o f o n ly tw o sp in e s o n th e in n e r s ide o f th e lo n g s p in e o f Ihe præoperculum. T b e
fo rm e r o f th e s e d iffe renc e s, ow in g to th e im p e rfe c t co n d itio n o f th e s p e c im e n .m a y p e rh a p s a p p e a r g r e a te r
th a n i t r e a lly is in n a tu r e ; th e s e c o n d , h ow ev e r, is p ro b a b ly spe c ific , s in c e i t is u n lik e ly t h a t w ith
a d v a n c in g a g e th e n um b e r o f sp in e s o n a b o n y p ro c e ss sh o u ld in c re a s e from tw o to s ix o r eight.
T h e b o d y is th ro u g h o u t hispid ; a n d th e th re e w h itish c u ta n e o u s flake s a b o v e th e a n a l fin, w h ic h a re
n o tic e d by M . V a le n c ie n n e s , s c a rc e ly ex c e e d in s iz e th e o th e r h isp id itie s o f th e sk in .
T h e r e i s n o m e n tio n o f th is sp e c ie s in th e n o te s o f M r. Collie.
C o t t u s v e n t r a l i s . Cuv. Val.
Cott. eorpore graciii saboequali; lineâ lateraU glabrâ; pinnU ventralibu» elongatia.
D .9 ,1 3 . A . n . C . l l . P .1 8 . Y.3.
Cottus ventralis. Cuv. Val., Hist. N a t. des Poiss. tom. 4. p . 194. pi. 79. fig. 1.
Hah. in Avatscha Bay, Kamtschatka.
T h is spe c ie s w a s a lso d e s c rib e d o rig in a lly b y M . V a le n c ie n n e s , from a sp e c im en b ro u g h t hom e by
th e e x p e d itio n , a n d n ow p re s e rv e d in tb e B r itis h M u s e um . M r. Collie’s no te s inform u s th a t th e
“ p e c to ra l fins h av e fo u r som ew h a t z ig - z a g b row n ish b a n d s from o v a l spots u pon tb e r a y s : th e
dorsa l a n d c a u d a l a r e s p o tte d b row n in ra th e r i r r e g u la r l i n e s : th e a n a l is u n ifo rm : th e v e n tr a ls re a ch
b ey o n d th e v e n t, a n d a r e e a c h com p o sed o f th r e e ra y s s p o tte d w ith w h ite . T h e sp o ts a re all o blong.
T h e r e is a fleshy la p p e t b e h in d th e awwi.”—C.
T h e s e a re th e on ly p a r tic u la r s n o tic e d b y M r . C ollie , b eyond th o s e a lre ad y r e c o rd e d by
M M . C u v ie r a n d V a le n c ie n n e s . I t is s ta te d th a t “ tw o sp e c im e n s w e r e c a u g h t in th e s e in e .”—C.
/I c u T .i i . -V a l.
i ; {
S- '
r,; ■
I
11
i i . i l