ll'l 



Dorsalstraalerne varierede saaledes i A nt.il fra U'l 

 — 118; fradrages don øvre Halvdel ai Caudalen med ti 

 Straaler, bliver don hele Række 9, r ) - 112. et Stråaleantalj 

 som blot de ældre Individer .'it' /,. vahlii og L. esmcurkii 

 kave opnaaet. Hos et ai Endividerne (M ligger Dorsalens 

 Begyndelse betydeligt nærmere ben mod Nakken, (■ml hos 

 de andre. Dorsalens største Højde er omtrent lig '/.•, ai 

 Legemshøjden ; . dog er Straalernes virkelige Læhgde, paa 

 Grand at' deres skråa Stilling, aoget Større, eller omtrent 

 lig Legemets halve Højde, men de kunne neppe nogensinde 

 rejses til sin tukle Højde. 



Analens Straaler variere i Antal fra 97 — 103.; fra- 

 drages den nedre Halvdel ai Caudalen, der sandsynHgvis 

 tæller 5 Straaler. bliver Elækken 92 — 98, et Antal. som 

 hidtil ikke er fondet hos nogen anden Art, 



Pectoralerne ere forholdsvis lange og slanke, noget 

 • tilspidsede, og have faa Straaler. idet Antallet har vist sig 

 at variere melleni 13 og 17. 



Yentralerne ere ligeledes temmelig lange (dog kor- 

 tere, end Øjets Længdediameter). og indehokles i Hoved- 

 Længdeta 6 — 6 l / 2 Gange. Straaleantallet kan ikke med Sik- 

 kerhet! Opines. 



Skjælbekkedning. I én Henseende .frembød Skjæl- 

 keklædningen kos Individerne ai denne Art en liojst mær- 

 kelig Variation, nemlig med Hensyn til det Tidspiunct. da 

 denne begynder at udvikle sig under Individernes Væxt. 

 Typ-Exemplaret af denne Art. beskrevet i den første af 

 de foreløbige Beretninger om Nordhavs-Expeditionens Fiske, 

 og som kavde en Totall. af 141""". havde ta.'t Skjælbekked- 

 ning paa keie Legemet, medens Hovedet med Nakken, samt 

 Finnerne vare nogne. Af de 3 nyerholdte Exemplarer fra 

 1878 kavde den ene. en spæd Unge, intet Spor af Skjæl, 

 kvad der keiler ikke var at vent", da Legemet endnii var 

 halvt gjennemsigtigt., og næsteu uden Pigment. Det 2det. 

 Exemplar, hvis Totallængde er 198""", stemmer i alle Dele 

 overens med Typ-Exemplaret. og var. som dette, fuldt skjæl- 

 beklædt. 



Det allerstorste Individ derimod. hvis Totallængde 

 er næsten dobbelt saa stor. som Typ-Exempjarets. nemlig 

 217""". var. mærkeligt nok. endnu næsten ganske udén Skjæl. 

 Blot enkelte Skjæl, der øjensynlig netop kefinde sig i Frem- 

 brud, kunne opdages henad Halen, men paa hele den for- 

 reste Del af Legemet er der ikke Spor af saadanne. I alle 

 andre Henseender ere disse 2 største Individer, der begge 

 erholdtes paa samme Localitet og ved samme Lejlighed, 

 fuldstændig overensstemmende. 



Det maa saaledes antages. at Skjælbeklædningen baade 

 anlægges paa et forholdsvis sildigt Stadium, og ganske 

 uregelmæssigt. kos enkelte Individer langt sildigere, end kos 

 andre. Saafremt man vil antage. at Hannerne kos denne 

 Art. i Ligked med. kvad der er pa a vist kos andre Ly coder, 

 kunne opnaa -en betydeligere Størrelse, end Hunnerne, val- 

 det at vente, at Skjælbeklædningen anlagdes tidligere kos 

 de sidste, end kos Hannerne. Men det største, og næsten 

 ganske nøgne Individ er netop en Hun, medens det noget 

 mindre, eler. er tæt skjælbeklædt, er en Han. 



Den norske Nordhavsexpedition. Collett: Fiske. 



The number of the dorsal rays ranged accordingly 

 from 101 to 118. If we deduct the 6 rays in the upper 

 half of the caudal, the whole series will contain 95 — 112. 

 a number greater than is met with in any of the other 

 species, sine in maturer examples of L. rohlii and L. es- 



markii. One of the specimens (6) has the origin of the 



dorsal considerably nearer the nape than have the others. 

 The greatest height of the dorsal about equals one-third 

 of the height. of the body: but the true length of the rays, 

 owing to their obliquity, is somewhat greater, or about 

 equal to half the height of the body. 



The anal rays range in number from 97 to 108. If 

 we deduct the rays in the lower half of the caudal, pro- 

 babl\ "). this series will contain 92 — 98. a greater number 

 than has yet been met with in any other species. 



The pectorals are comparatively long and slender. 

 somewhat elongated, and with but few rays, the number 

 kaving been found to vary between 13 and 17. 



The ventrals are also rather long (skorter however 

 than the longitudinal diameter of the eye), being contained 

 from G to 6 l /a times in tké lengtk of the head. Tke 

 number of rays cannot' be accurately stated. 



Scales. — In one respect, tke scaled integument in 

 the specimens of this species exhibited a most remarkable 

 variation, viz. as to tke exact point of time at wkick it begins 

 to develop during tke growth of tke individual. Tke typical 

 specimen of. this species, described in tke first of tke pre- 

 liminary reports treating of tke fishes collected on tke Ex- . 

 pedition, total lengtk 141""". kad tke whole body covered 

 with scales; tke kead, tke nape, and tke fins were naked. 

 Of tke 3 individuals newly obtained (1878). one. a fry- 

 specimen, exkibited no trace of scales, as was indeed to 

 be expected, tke body being still semi-translucent and almost 

 colourless. Tke second example, total lengtk 198"""'. agrees. 

 perfectly with tke typical specimen, being, like that, en- 

 tirely scaled. 



The largest individual, on the contrary, with a total 

 length twice as great as that -of tke typical specimen (217"""). 

 was. strange to say, well nigh scaleless. A few scales only, 

 and obviously in the first stage of development, could be 

 detected along tke tail; on tke wkole of tke anterior part 

 of tke body tkere was no trace of any. In all other respects, 

 tkese two largest individuals, both of them taken in the 

 same locality and at one time, agree perfectly. 



There is. accordingly, every reason to infer, that the 

 scaled integument makes its appearance at a comparatively 

 late stage of growth, and quite irregularly, muck earlier 

 in some individuals than in others. Now assuming that 

 tke males of tkis species, in common with what has been 

 shown to hold good witk other Lycods. can attain a 

 greater size than the females, the scaled integument would 

 naturally develop' earlier in tke latter than in tke males. 

 But tke largest and well nigh naked example, is a female, 

 whereas tke smaller specimen, wkick is densely scaled, is a male. 



Hi 



