ABLE ET AL.: CYCLOPTERIDAE 



429 



Table 108. Nominal Cyclopterid Genera. Nlimber of Species, and Range of Meristic Characters for Each. Based primarily on data 

 from Burke (1930), Schmidt (1950), Ueno (1970), Andriashev (1975), Andriashev and Neelov (1976), Stein (1978), and Kjdo (1983). Dorsal fin 



counts are given as dorsal spines and dorsal rays for Cyclopterinae. 



limited to the cooler waters of the arctic, antarctic and temperate 

 regions with the possible exception of L. ftshclsoni from the Red 

 Sea (Smith, 1968). The Cyclopterinae are more restricted in 

 their distribution, occurring exclusively in the northern hemi- 

 sphere's boreal and arctic waters (Ueno. 1970) where they are 

 usually limited to continental shelves. Although most cyclop- 

 teridsare benihic the cycloptenne Pelagocyclus v/7/ar/(Lindberg 

 and Legeza, 1955) and the liparidines Nectolipans pclagiciis and 

 Lipanscus nanus (Stein, 1978) are pelagic. Lipans fahricii is 

 considered cryopelagic in the high Arctic (Tsinovsky and 

 Mernikov, 1980). The cycloptenne Cyclopterus lumpus is ben- 

 thic during the reproductive season and pelagic at other limes 

 (Thorsteinsson, 1981; Able, in prep.). 



Development 



The available information on early life history stages is in- 

 adequate to allow confident generalizations about the biology 

 or systematics for most members of the family. This is due to 

 rarity of material (adults and especially larvae) and the incom- 

 plete understanding of cyclopterid taxonomy. 



Eggs 



Cyclopterid eggs are moderate to large (0.8 to 8.0 mm), de- 

 mersal and adhesive (Table 109). Variation in fecundity is gen- 

 erally related to female length (Stein, 1980a; Lisovenko and 

 Svetlov, 1981; Matarese and Borton, in prep.) but appears to 

 be a complex function of egg diameter as well (Table 109). Much 

 of the available information on cyclopterid eggs, summarized 



in Table 109, is based on observations of ovarian eggs or oth- 

 erwise incomplete descriptions. It is possible, for example, that 

 one or more oil globules may be characteristic of all cyclopterid 

 eggs. Sculpturing of the chorion surface has been reported for 

 Lipans montagui (Mcintosh and Prince, 1890), L. tanakae 

 (Aoyama, 1959) and L. atlanticus (Detwyler, 1963). Pores in 

 the chorion have been reported for Cycloptents lumpus and L. 

 montagui (Mcintosh and Prince, 1890). We have found that 

 sculpturing of the chorion occurs in L. liparis (Fig. 234A, B, C) 

 and Paraliparis calidus and possibly Eumicrolremus orbis (Fig. 

 234D, E, ¥). Pores in the chorion are quite numerous in L. 

 liparis (Fig. 234B, C). Pits are present on some portions of the 

 egg surface of £. orbis (Fig. 234D, E, F). 



Incubation is moderately long (5 to 10 weeks) in the few 

 reported cases (Russell, 1976; Andriashev, 1954; Matarese and 

 Borton, in prep.). The combination of relatively large eggs and 

 long incubation times results in an advanced state of develop- 

 ment at hatching for some members of each subfamily. In these 

 instances fin rays and disk are formed and notochord flexion is 

 underway prior to hatching (Fig. 235A, Table 110). Hatching 

 at an advanced state of development is characteristic for all 

 deep-water Liparidinae that have been relatively well studied 

 (Andriashev et al., 1977; Stein, 1978). Hatching may be cued 

 to wind induced temperature changes for some inshore Liparis 

 (Frank and Leggett, 1983). 



Some form of parental protection, either egg hiding, paternal 

 guarding, or both may also be characteristic (Table 109). Some 

 Pacific Careproctus deposit eggs within the gill cavities of lith- 



