L05 



Del bliver i denne Forbindelse nødvendigt kortelig 

 al omtale et Par Xngelformer ai Lycoder, der hidtil ere 

 blevne opførte som distincte Axter, medens de sandsynlig- 

 vis biol udgjøre de ange Stadier af 1, eller maaske 2 Ar- 

 ter, der i sin fuldl udvoxede Tilstand ere dem betydeligt 

 olige i Farvetegning og Skjælbeklædning. Disse Former 

 «■re: L. perspicillum, K r . is44. fra Grønland, /.. rossi, 

 Malmgr. 1864, fra Spitsbergen, samt L. gracilis, M. Sårs 

 1866, fra Norge; det er sandsynligt, at alle disse blot nd- 

 gjøre Ungdomsstadiet enten alene af /.. reticulatus, eller 

 tillige af en anden Art. iler staar denne nær, maaske L. 

 liltkenii. 



I 1844 anmeldte Krøyer med en kort og foreløbig 

 Diagnose en nv Lycodes fra Grønland under Navn af L. 

 perspicillum, og afbildede den nve Art i Gaimards Voy. 

 etc. Poiss., pl. 7. men gav den forst i 1863 i Naturh. 

 Tidsskr. 3 K. 1 B. en udførlig Beskrivelse. Af denne Art 

 forelaa 2 Individer med en Totallængde af 39 — 65""", af 

 hvilke jeg ved Dr. Liitkens Imødekommen har kunnet un- 

 dersøgé det største i Musæet i Kjobenhavn. Paa den brun- 

 gule Bimdfarve har det 8 brede, i Midten lysere Felter. . 

 ligesom et hvidagtigt Baand forbinder begge Gjællespalter ; 

 denne Farvetegning viser en saa paafaldende Overensstem- 

 melse med den. der tindes bos det mintlste af Typ-Indivi- 

 derne af£. reticulatus, der ligeledes opbevares i Kjobenhavn. 



og hvis Totall. er 223 '. at der nødvendigvis maa opstaa 



en Formodning om begge Arters Identitet. Den væsent- 

 ligste Forandring, der er foregaaet med det omhaudlede 

 unge Individ af L. reticulatus er. at de mørke Felter, der 

 tindes hos L. perspicillum, ere blevne mindre skarpt be- 

 grændsede, ligesom de begynde at bære Spor af de mør- 

 kere reticulerede Linier. der hos de mere udvoxede Indivi- 

 der blive de mest fremtredende Trade i Farvetegningen 

 hos denne Art. 



Finnestraalernes Antal, som hos L. reticulatus, ifølge 

 Dr. Liitken. varierer i Dorsalen mellem 91 og 95, i Ana- 

 len mellem 75 og 76 (eller en Gang 70). er hos L. per- 

 spicillum, ifølge Krøyer, D. 80. A. 65; de ere saaledes 

 vistnok noget færre, men Tallet tør maaske ikke være cor- 

 rect, hvad Krøyer selv anfører tildels tor være Tilfældet 1 , 

 eller man kunde antagé Muligheden af. at der yderligere 

 under Væxten vilde udvikle sig et Par nye Hvirvler og 

 tilsvarende Straaler. 



Derimod beror Uoverensstemmelsen i Skjælbeklæd- 

 ningens TJdstrækning utvivlsomt paa Individets unge Alder. 

 sammenlignet med de udvoxede Individer af L. reticulatus. 

 Medens nemlig de sidste ere skjælbeklædte paa Legemet 

 hen til Pectoralens ydre Trediedel, medens hele Bugen og 

 den forreste Del af Ryggen er nøgen, ere Skjællene hos 

 L. perspicillum, efter hvad jeg selv bar kunnet overbevise 

 mig om. netop i sit første Frembrud paa Halepartiet, me- 

 dens Skjælbeklædningen paa Legemets Sider strækker sig 

 frem til Midten af Pectoralen. Det er saaledes klart. 



Naturh. Tidsskr. 3 R. 1 B. p. 'JIU. 



Den norske Nordhavsexpedition. Collett: Fiske. 



Here it is necessary to make brief mention of cer- 

 tain fry-specimens of one or two forms of Lycodes hitherto 



regarded as distinct species, though in all probability 



merelj representing 1. or possiblj 2, species in the early 

 stages "I development, which, «ben full-grown, are found to 

 have undergone a striking change in coloration and the 

 extent of the scaled integument. The forms in ques- 

 tion are as follows: — L. pi rspu ilium, Kr. 1*44. from 

 Greenland; /-. rossi, Malmgr. isr.4. trom Spitzbergen; and 

 /.. gracilis, M Sars. 1866, from Xor\\a\ : and they are 

 probably all of them examples either ol' /.. reticulatus or of 

 some other species nearly related to it. possibly L. liit- 

 kenii in an early stage of development, 



ln 1S44 Kniver announced, with a preliminary diagnosis, 

 the occurrence of a new Lycodes off the coast of Greenland, 

 under the name of L. perspicillum, and figured it in Gai- 

 mard's Voy. &c. Poiss, pi. 7. but did not furnish a detailed 

 description till 1S63. in Naturh. Tidsskr. 3 R. IB. Oi 

 this species two examples had been obtained, total length 

 respectively 39 and 65""", the largest of which, preserved 

 in tlie Copenhagen Museum. Dr. Liitken kindly per- 

 mitted me to examine. Over the brownish-yellow ground- 

 colour are distributed 8 broad patches, lighter in the middle; 

 and a whitish band connects the gill-openings. Now. this 

 peculiarity of coloration exhibits so striking a resemblance 

 to that distinguishing the smallest of the typical specimens 

 of L. reticulatus, also preserved in Copenhagen (total length 

 223"""). that the identity of the two species cannot but 

 suggest itself. The principal change which this imma- 

 ture exa ni] ile of L. reticulatus has undergone, consists in 

 the dark patches characteristic of L. perspicillum having 

 become less sharply defined, and in their commencing to 

 show indications of the dark reticular lines, which, in a 

 more advanced stage of development, are the most prom- 

 inent characteristics of coloration in this species. 



The number of tin-rays, which in L. reticulatus, ac- 

 cording to Dr. Liitken. varies in the dorsal between '.11 

 and 95, in the anal. bet\veen 75 and 76 (in one specimen 

 70), is in L. perspicillum, according to Kroyer, D. 80, A. 

 65: this is certainly a somewhat smaller number; but it 

 may possibly be incorrectly given, which Kroyer himself 

 suggests as not improbable, to a certain extent 1 ; or the 

 development during the further progress of growth of one 

 or two additional vertebræ and rays might be assumed. 



On the other hand, the want of agreement in, the 

 extent of the scaled integument, as compared with that 

 distinguishing adults of L. reticulatus, must unquestionably 

 be ascribed to the immaturity of the individual. The 

 former are scaled on the body as far as the outer third of 

 the pectorals, the whole of the belly and the anterior part 

 of the back being naked, whereas in L. perspicillum, the scales, 

 (a fact of which from my own examination I am convinced) 

 are just beginning to develop over the caudal region, but on 

 the sides of the body they extend to the middle of the 



Naturh. 



3 R. 1 B. p. 291. 



14 



v 



