ZOARCIDAE 101 



cross-bars on back and upper parts of sides ; usually with numerous smallish, rounded 

 or oblong, pale yellowish or white spots scattered over head and upper parts of body, 

 extending on to the dorsal fin; these spots are large and very distinct in some large 

 individuals (? males), in which the ground colour is dark brown or black (Plate I, 

 fig. 4); in other large specimens (? females) the spots are few, smaller and less 

 prominent ; a more or less distinct brown or black band directed forward from the eye, 

 sometimes uniting with that of the opposite side on the end of the snout ; sometimes 

 another but less distinct band from eye to operculum ; usually a series of black spots at 

 edge of anterior part of dorsal fin ; anal plain or with similar spots ; pectoral uniformly 

 yellowish (young), with a large dusky area and a pale hinder margin (half-grown), or 

 dark brown or black with round white spots (large males?). 



Hab. Coasts of Argentina; Patagonian-Falklands region; Straits of Magellan; 

 southern Chile. 



In addition to the above, there are 8 specimens (80-145 mm.) in the British Museum 

 collection from the Falkland Islands and the Chiloe Archipelago, including the type 

 of the species (145 mm.) and the types of Lycodes variegatiis (100, 120 mm.). 



Fig. 50. Iluocoeles fimbriatm. x \. 



Examination of the large series of specimens listed above reveals considerable 

 variation, not only in the coloration and in the height of the dorsal fin, but also to 

 some extent in the size of the eye and of the cleft of the mouth: I am convinced, 

 however, that they are all referable to a single species. Comparatively few of the 

 specimens have ripe gonads, but, judging from the individuals which I have been able 

 to sex, it seems fairly certain that the large, white-spotted specimens with an exception- 

 ally high dorsal fin (Plate I, fig. 4), described by Lahille as Caneolepis acroptenis, are 

 mature males. 1 Young specimens collected by the 'William Scoresby' agree almost 

 exactly with the young fish figured by Smitt as Phiicocoetes variegatiis forma macropus. 



The specimen sketched in water-colours by Mr E. R. Gunther had been in formalin 

 for a few days, but its colour did not appear to have changed. 



Iluocoetes elongatus (Smitt). 



Phiicocoetes variegatiis elongatus, Smitt, 1898, Bih. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl., xxiv, iv, No. 5, p. 44, 

 pi. v, fig. 34. 

 St. WS749. 18. ix. 31. 52 39' 30" S, 69 53' 30" W. Rectangular net, 40 m.: 17 specimens, 



8 3-H5 mm - 



1 Lahille points out that one of the four types of Caneolepis acroptenis is a male, but he was unable to 

 ascertain the sex of the others. 



