180 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP [1884. 



^ LycodidcE, Gill, Arrangement Fara. of Fishes, p. 3, 1872. 



> Zoarcce., Fitzinger, Sitzungsber. k. Akad. der Wissensch. (Wien), B. 67, 



1. Abth., p. 43, 1873. 

 OacUdce and Ophidini, pt., Reinhardt. 

 Blennioidei and OpMdoidei, pt., Bleeker. 

 Blennioidce, pt., Gill, Kroyer. 

 Lycodidm and BlenniidoB, gen., Giinther. 



Subfamily Synonyms. 



> QymneUncB, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., v. 15, pp. 256, 261, 1863. 



> Zoardnce, Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. Fishes N, Am., p. 783, 1882. 



> Lycodinm, Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. Fishes N. Am., p. 783, 1882. 



= Lycodidti', Collett, Norske Nordhavs-Exped. 1876-78 ; Fiske, p. 77, 1880. 

 = ZoarcidcB, Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. Fishes N. Am., p. 400, 1882. 

 = Lycodidcf, Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. Fishes N. Am., p. 783, 1882. 



Lycodoidea of a more or less anguilliform shape, tapering back- 

 wards ; dorsal and anal elongated and confluent with caudal, 

 invested in a thick skin; ventrals jugular and rudimentary or 

 suppressed, and branchial apertures lateral and not confluent. 



The chief group of this family, or the subfamily Lycodinae, is 

 a chai"acteristic deep-sea type, and represented by many species 

 varying greatly in elongation, and with the extreme terms tolerably 

 well connected by graduated representatives. Nevertheless, the 

 two sections of Lycodes, defined by Prof. Collett (op. cit., p. 84), 

 seem to be entitled to generic rank, and corroborated by other 

 species obtained by the TJ, S. Commission of Fish and Fishei-ies. 

 The name Ly codes must be retained for the robust species, while 

 Lycenchelys may be used as a designation for Collett's second 

 group which have " the body elongate ;" height of the body con- 

 tained from twelve to twenty -four times in the total length. The 

 genera would then be Lycodes, Lycenchelys, Lycodopsis, Lyco- 

 donus, and Lycocara (= Uronectes, Gthr.). 



In the preceding diagnoses of the superfamilies Gadoidea, 

 Ophidioidea and Lycodoidea, little more is given than what may 

 serve to neatly differentiate the several groups, but the charac- 

 ters given are reinforced by many others, such as the cranial 

 foramina, details in the relations of the bones, and characters of 

 the vertebrae. The relations of the Brotuloidea appear to be 

 almost as intimate, if not indeed more so, with the Lycodoidea 

 than with the Gadoidea. But a comparison of the cranium of a 

 Lycodid with that of a Blenniid, must convince the ichthyotomist 



