254 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



Branchiostegal rays six. 



Mouth with its cleft scarcely oblique, quite deep, the supramaxillars ex- 

 tending behind the eyes, expanded towards their ends, especially at the upper 

 angle. Teeth small, stout and rather blunt, in a band on each jaw, inter- 

 rupted at the symphysis and narrowed on the sides behind. Vomer and front 

 of palatines with similar teeth. 



Dorsal fin rather low, and nearly even, with its origin behind the vertical 

 of the peetorals, and almost connected to the base of the caudal behind. 



Anal fin much shorter, but similar in form to the dorsal, and partly con- 

 nected behind to the caudal. 



Pectoral fins moderate, obliquely and convex nearer the lower rays, in an 

 adipose skin. 



Ventral filaments inserted under the preoperculum, compressed, closely 

 annular, but not articulated like the rays of Phycis, &c. 



The branchial arches have transverse scabrous ridges on each side of their 

 concave surfaces, except the middle portion of the first below the bend, where 

 the ridges of the outer side are replaced on the margin by about three pro- 

 duced, scabrous, subcylindrical processes. The cleft behind the fourth arch 

 is moderate. There are no pseudo-branchise. 



The stomach is large and sacciform, and, at the pyloric extremity, there are 

 two short cseca, one on each side. 



This genus is most nearly allied to Dinematichthys of Bleeker, but distin- 

 guished by the scaleless head, dentition and the absence of claspers to the 

 anal papilla, &c. 



Brosmophycis marginatus Gill. - 



Synonymy. 



Brosmius marginatus Ayres, Proc. California Academy of Natural Sciences, 



vol. i. p. 13, 1854. 

 Brosmius marginatus Girard, Explorations and Surveys for a Railroad Route, 



&c, vol. x. Fishes, p. 141. 

 Brosmophycis marginatus Gill, Proc. Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila.; 



vol. xiii. p. 168, 1861. 

 Halias marginatus Ayres, Proc. California Academy of Natural Sciences, part 



2, p. 52, 1861. 

 Brosmophycis marginatus Gill, Proc. Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila., 



1862, p. 280. 

 Dinematichthys marginatus Giinther, Catalogue of the Fishes in the British 

 Museum, vol. iv. p. 375. 

 Hab. California. 



Synopsis of the Family of LYC0D0ID.E. 

 BY THEODORE GILL. 



In the present article, it is desired to draw the attention of American marine 

 zoologists to the species of this family, to call forth the search for any species of 

 two of the genera hitherto only known from Greenland, or high northern seas ; 

 and also to embody the views regarding the affinities of the several genera, 

 which have been widely scattered in the different ichthyological systems, and 

 yet which appear to be connected by the closest ties. 



Only the different species of Enchelyopus and Gymnelis are known to the 

 author ; acquaintance with Lycodes being confined to the descriptions and ex- 

 cellent figures of Reinhardt, Kroyer and Richardson. 



Family LYCODOID^E (Giinther). 

 Synonymy. 

 Zoarchidse Swainson, Natural History and Classification of Fishes, Amphibians 

 and Reptiles, vol. ii. pp. 184, 283, 1839. 



[Sept. 



