BRO'SMIUS, a genus of Fishes belonging to the section Subbrachial Malacopterygii, and family Gadidce. Generic characters :—Body elon gate, and furnished with a single dorsal fin which extends from near the head to the tail ; the anal fin is also of considerable length, and extends from the vent to the tail ; ventral fins small and fleshy ; chin furnished with but one barbule. This genus was established by Cuvier ; it is the genus Gadus of Pennant (` British Zoology '), and Brosnaus of Fleming (' British Animals').
But one species of Brosmius has been found on our coast, and that appears to be confined to the northern parts ; it is the B. rulgaris of Cuvier, commonly called the Torsk, and in the Shetlands the Tusk and the Brismak ; in this latter locality it is abundant, and forms when barreled or dried a considerable article of commerce. In Yarrell's History of British Fishes' we are informed that this species also occurs plentifully in "Norway, as far as Finmark of the Faroe Islands, and the W. and S. coast of Iceland," and other parts.
The Pennant's description of this fish :—" Length twenty inches, and depth four and a half; head small ; upper jaw a little longer than the lower ; both jaws furnished with a multitude of small teeth ; on the chin was a small single beard ; from the head to the dorsal fin was a deep furrow; the dorsal fin began within six inches of the tip of the nose, and extended almost to the tail ; pectoral fins email and rounded; ventral short, thick, and fleshy, ending in four eirrhi ; the belly from the throat grows very prominent ; anal fin long, and reached almost close to the tail, which is small and circular ; colour of the head dusky ; sides and back yellow, belly white ; edges of the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins white, the other parts dusky ; pectoral fins brown." When eaten fresh it is rather tough ; hence it
is preferred dried, and is prepared in the same manner as ling and cod. Faber says, is thrown up dead in incredible numbers on the coasts of the Faroe Islands, and the south coast of Iceland, after a storm." (Yarrell, British Fishes.)