DISCISSION OP SPECIES AND THEIB DISTRIBUTION 36. r ) 



MOLVA BYRKELANGE, Walbaum, 



Volra byrlcelange, Walbatoi Artedi's Genera Pisciuw, 1792, m. 135. — StrGm. Norsk. Vid. Sclsk. Skr., i s M. 



35.- t "i ii ii Norges Fiske, Is7.">. lliii Nyl Mag. I. Naturvid., 1884, 84. — I.11.1..11 borg, Sverig. <»li Noil;. 



FisU.. 139. 

 Molva abysBorum, Nil-son, Prodromus, 16; Skand. faun., iv, 577.— GCntiier, l nt. Fish. Brit. Mas., iv, 362. 



A Molva which differs from .1/. vulgaris in having the lower jaw the longer, as well as in 

 longer second dorsal and anal fins. Strong raandibulary and vomerine teeth. Ventral tip 

 not extending beyond that of pectoral. The anal and dorsal terminate in the same \ ertical. 



Radial formula: D. 14+76-78; A. 74-T5. 



"This species," says Gunther, "descends to a si ill greater depth than the common 'ling,' 

 and is abundant between 100 and ."><n> fathoms on the coast of Scandinavia." 



MOLVA ELONGATA, (Otto) Gunther. 



Gadus elongatus, Otto, "Conspectus." 



Lota elongata, Risso, Hist. Nat. Eur. Mend., 217, fig. xi.vii. — Bonaparte, Catalogue, No. 366.— Canes 



trini, Archive Zoologique, ii, 367. — Moreau, Hist. Niit. Poiss., Prance, in, 260, fig. 17H. 

 Molva elongata, Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., iv, 362. — Canestrini, Faun, [talica, 157.— Gigliou, 



Elenco, 37. 



A Molva characterized by the length of the pectoral fin, which extends further back- 

 ward than the ventral, while the anal extends further backward than the dorsal; also by 

 the comparative shortness of the first dorsal fin. The lower jaw is longer than the upper 

 one. The length of the barbel is not quite half the width of the interorbital space. The 

 anal is inserted behind the vertical from the origin of the second dorsal. The first three 

 rays of the ventral are elongated. 



Radial formula: D. 10-11+77-81: A. 73-78. 



Color above, ashy; below, silvery white. The dorsal and caudal are margined with 

 black; white at the edge. The second dorsal has on its posterior rays a very black spot. 

 The caudal is black at its lower posterior angle. 



This form is found only in the Mediterranean, and is very common at Nice. It occurs 

 off the west coast of Italy, though it is not abundant. Giglioli also records it from Mes- 

 sina, where it is rare. 



PHYSICULUS, Kaup. 



Physiculm, Kaup, Wiegmann's Archiv., 1858,88. — GOnther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., rv, 348; Challenger Re 



port, xxii, 1887, 87. 

 Pseudopht/cis, GOnther, Cat. Pish. Brit. .Mus., i\, 350. 



Gadoids Inning an elongate body. 2 dorsals and l anal fin, and a separate caudal. 

 Snout broad, obtusely rounded, projecting beyond the mouth, which is of moderate size. 

 Teeth small, villiform, of equal size, in bands in the jaws; vomerines and palatines tooth- 

 less. Scales very small, covering body and entire head. Ventrals narrow, with 5 rays, the 

 outer ones filamentous. Anal not notched. Caudal rounded, slender, tree. A barbel upon 

 the chin. Branchiostegals 7. (iill rakers of the outer branchial arch short. 



Giinther, in his report on the deep sea fishes of the Challenger, combines his genus, the 

 Pseudophycis, with I'hysiculus, stating that in consequence of the discovery of several in- 

 termediate forms, a generic distinction between them cannot be .maintained ; and furthei 

 that most probably the transition from the perfectly developed many-rayed tin tothesingle 

 filament of Phycis, will be found to lie so gradual as to diminish the value of the structure 

 of this lin as a taxonomie character in this group. 



In addition In the four species described below, two other species have been described — 

 P. breviusculus of Richardson ( = /'. baeehus, Forster), and P.barbatus of Gunther < = /'. 

 palmatus, KliLnzinger), but their bathic range has not been determined. 



