REVISION OF THE FISH FAMILY LIPARIDAE 59 



A^. Peritoneum black or densely pigmented; pectoral with less rays than the 

 anal major. 



SUPPLEMENTAET KET TO SPEOES OF LIPAEI3 FBOM THE NORTH ATLANTIC 



(Ai) Peritoneum silvery or white, with few or no black dots. 

 (B') Anal less than 30; dorsal usually notched. 

 (C) Pectoral less than 30. 



(D^) Anterior dorsal rays sometimes elongate; prickles sometimes present; 

 dorsal more than 30. Coeca usuallj' more than 20. American 



atlanticus. 

 (D2) Anterior dorsal rays never elongate; prickles never present; dorsal 



30 or less. European montagui. 



(C^) Pectoral more than 30; coeca less than 20 liparis. 



(B^) Anal more than 30 (34-37); dorsal never notched; dorsal 41-44; anal 



34-37 tunicatus. 



(A^) Peritoneum usually black, sometimes heavily pigmented with black. D. 48; 

 A. 40; P. 34. _._ major. 



LIPARIS ATLANTICUS Jordan and Erermann 



Liparis montagui Garman, 1892, p. 47 (part, pi. 7, figs. 6-20, not of Donovan) 

 ? Liparis liparis Garman, 1892, p. 59 (part, pi. 7, figs. 1-5, 21-22). 

 Neoliparis atlanticus Jordan and Evermann, 1898, No. 47, p. 2107. 



Type.— Male, No. 47215, U.S.N.M. Godboiit, Quebec, 1885. 

 Length 109 mm. 



Distribution. — Specimens examined, 36 in number, are from the 

 coast of Connecticut northward to Quebec. The records of the 

 specimens examined are incomplete and do not indicate the vertical 

 range of the species. It has been recorded from the tide pools down 

 to 50 fathoms. 



Relationships. — L. atlanticus has frequently been confused with 

 montagui Donovan of Europe. Jordan and Evermann consider that 

 the former species differ from the latter in the smaller head and the 

 more distinct and sometimes elevated anterior dorsal fin. Boulenger 

 (Jordan and Evermann, 1898. p. 2107) says that the anterior dorsal 

 fin of L. montagui is always distinct but never elevated. I have 

 been unable to make a satisfactory comparison of these two species 

 but I am inclined to believe that they will be found to be distinct 

 morphologically as well as geographically. In comparing L. atlan- 

 ticus with the Pacific species we find that in most respects it bears 

 a close resemblance to L. rutteri. The resemblance is more striking 

 when we consider that these are the only two species in which the 

 anterior dorsal fin is sometimes elevated. The only differences of 

 taxonomic value that we find between L. atlanticus and L. rutteri 

 are in the coloration and the number of rays in the pectoral fin. The 

 disk may be found to be slightly larger in the latter species. L. 

 rutteri apparently never has thumb-tack prickles. These are not 



