Jorda7i and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 2445 



Family CCII. ANARHICHADID^. 



(The Wolf-Fishes.) 



Body oblong or elongate, covered with rudimentary scales ; no lateral 

 line. Head scaleless, without cirri, its bones very thick and strong, the 

 profile strongly decurved. Mouth very large, oblique, the jaws anteriorly 

 with very strong conical canines; sides of lower jaw with very strong 

 molar teeth, which shut against a series of very coarse molars on the pala- 

 tines; vomer solid, armed with strong molar teeth, the dentition adapted 

 for crushing sea-urchins and mollusks. Gill membranes broadly united to 

 the isthmus; no pyloric Cieca. Dorsal fin high, composed entirely of flex- 

 ible spines; no ventral fins; pectoral fins broad, placed low. Large car- 

 nivorous fishes of the northern seas. Two genera and about 6 species 

 known, (Blenniidw, pt., Giiuther, Cat., iii, 208-211, 1861.) 



ANAEHICHADIN.E : 



a. Body moderately elongate, the tail not tapering to a point ; dorsal and anal separate 

 from the caudal. Anarhichas, 925. 



ANARRHICHTHYIN^ : 



aa. Body eel-shaped, excessively elongate ; the dorsal and anal joined with the caudal at 

 the end of the long and tapering tail. Anarrhichthys, 926. 



925. ANARHICHAS (Artedi) Linnajus. 

 (Wolf-Fishes.) 



Anarhichas (Artedi) Linnjeus, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 247, 1758 (lupus). 



Body moderately elongate, covered with rudimentary scales ; head scale- 

 less, without cirri, compressed, narrowed above, the profile strongly 

 decurved; mouth wide, oblique; premaxillary not protractile; jaws with 

 very strong conical canines anteriorly; lateral teeth of lower jaw either 

 molar or with pointed tubercles; upper jaw without lateral teeth; vomer 

 extremely thick and solid, with 2 series of coarse molar teeth; palatines 

 with 1 or 2 similar series. Gill membranes broadly joined to the isthmus; 

 no lateral line. Dorsal fin rather high, composed entirely of flexible 

 spines, which are enveloped in the skin; anal fin lower; caudal fin 

 developed, free from dorsal and anal; no ventral fins; pectoral fins broad, 

 placed low; air-bladder present; no pyloric caeca. Northern seas. (Ana- 

 rhichas (or Scansor), the climber; an ancient name of Anarhichas lupus; 

 from dvafjfiixdojuai, to climb or scramble up; the allusion not evident, 

 the word spelled with a single r by Artedi and Linnanis.) 



a. Dorsal spines 60 to 70. 



b. Vomerine teeth not extending farther bacljward than the palatine teeth. 



c. Back and sides vaguely mottled, without spots or bands ; vomerine teeth not 

 extending nearly as far backward as palatine teeth. 



LATIFRONS, 2801. 

 cc. Back and sides profusely covered with roundish black spots; vomerine 

 teeth extending nearly as far backward as palatine teeth. 



MINOR, 2802. 

 bb. Vomerine teeth extending nuicb farther backward than the short band of pala- 

 tine teeth : sides of body with 9 to 12 darker cross bars ; nape and shoulder 

 with dark spots. lupus, 2803. 



