LYCODIDTE. 319 



Fam. 2. LYCODID^. 



Vertical fins confluent into one, without any spines. Ventral fin, 

 if present, small, attached to the humeral areh, jugular. Oill-opening 

 narrow, the gill-membrane being attached to the isthmus. 



This family also boars a strong resemblance to some of the Blennoid 

 fishes, yet several of them show pyloric appendages ; they have neither 

 spines in the fins, nor a prominent anal papilla. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



Ventral fins small 1 . Lycodes, p. 319. 



Ventral fins none ; ja ws equal anteriorly 2. Gymnelis, p. 323. 



Ventral fins none ; the lower jaw longest 3. Uronectes, p. 325 . 



1. LYCODES* 



Lycodes, Ilei7ihardt, Dansh. Vidcnsk. Sekk. Afhandl. vii. 1838, p. 147. 



Body elongate, covered with minute scales imbedded in the skin 

 or naked ; lateral line more or less indistinct. Eye of moderate size. 

 Vertical fins united ; ventral small, short, rudimentary, jugular, com- 

 posed of several rays. Upper jaw overlapping the lower. Conical 

 teeth in the jaws, on the vomer and on the palatine bones. Barbel 

 none. Five or six branchiostegals ; gill-opening narrow, the gill- 

 membranes being attached to the isthmus. Pseudobranchia) present. 

 Air-bladder none. Pyloric appendages two or rudimentary, or en- 

 tirely absent. No prominent anal papilla. 



a. Ventral fins shorter than one-fourth of the pectorals : 

 Lycodes, Reinh. — Greenland. 



1. Lycodes vahlii. 



Reinhardt, I. c. p. 153. tab. 5. 



D. 116-117. A. 91-95. V. 4. Vert. 25/87. 



The height of the body is rather more than one-half of the length 

 of the head, which is contained four times and a third in the total. 

 Head nearly twice as long as high ; snout long, the upper maxillary 

 extending to below the middle of the eye. The distance of the vent 

 from the ventrals is nearly equal to the length of the head. Vertical 

 fins enveloped in a thick scaly skin. Brownish -yellow, with six 

 blackish cross-bands extending on the dorsal fin and confluent on 

 the belly ; the first cross-band on and below the anterior dorsal rays, 



* 1. Lycodes nebulosus, Krijyer in Dansk. Vidcnsk. Sclsk. Afhandl. xi. 1845, 

 p. ccxxxiii.— Greenland. 



