LYCilDOins. 



tislies (cf. alxnc, \k '2\]): tlicy seem to he ('S|)C'ei;illy 

 closely allied to ;iii Aiistr.-iliaii genus aiiic)iif;- tiie()]iln- 

 dioids" that lias recei\ed of (it ni'IIKk'' the name of 

 <'()iii/ni(/ii(liis and resendiles the ij\co(h)ids in liie form 



«U8 

 and the al)8enee of 



of the hod}', the form of the 

 the air-bladder. 



(in, I,' was the first to give the family its ])resent 

 delinilion. About 20 or 30 species are recognised and 

 distril)uled among 8 genera. 



Cems enchelyopus. 



Dorsiil tin fitniislivd bvliiiiiJ iritli n dejiresfiidii, the nii/x wUh'ni iiiiich arr short (tiid sj)a/()iis. ]'rnhtil Jii/s jiii/iilxi 

 and nidimeiifdri/, irifli H or 4 rai/s. ralatiiic and ronierine teeth n-(intini/. 



The genus of the Eelpouts, known in its European 

 species since tiie time of Schonevklde (1624), first 

 excited attention on account of its reproducing itself 

 l)y the birth of living, vial)le young. It is equally re- 

 markable, however, for the development of spinous rays 

 at so unusual a spot, corresponding to the posterior part 

 of the dorsal fin in the Sea-cat (cf. above, p. 231) or 

 to the upper margin of the caudal fin in other fishes, 

 a spot \\here spinous rays also occur. 



The oldest post-Linna?an generic name, EncheJij- 

 opns\ was adopted by Gronovius in 1763'' from Klein, 



in whose works it contained a most heterogeneous 

 medley of fishes. The name given by Gkonovius was 

 however forgotten, though Valenciennes gave a refe- 

 rence to it', until it was restored in 1863 by Gill'^. 

 The genus has been best known l)y the name of Zo- 

 arces'', wdiich was given it in 1829 l)y Cuvieu', or 

 Zoarcceus, as Nilsson wrote the word^. 



The genus belongs exclusively to the seas of the 

 Northern Hemisphere and contains only two sjjccies, 

 which are very closely related to each other, one from 

 Europe and one from North America. 



THE EELPOUT (sw. tanglaken). 

 ENCHE]>Y()PUS VIVIPARUS. 



PI. XII, fig. 1. 



Bnijn of the anal tin less than lOO. Body slimy and covered witli thin, oblong, rounded, cycloid scales, de- 

 pressed in the skin. Coloration greenish yellow or yellowish In-own (lighter on the belly and the under surface 

 of the head) marked across the dorsal fin and the liack with dark brown transverse bands, which are more or less 

 ili-itinctlv branched below and meet or alternate with a row of similarly Cfdoured spots on the lower part of the sides. 



B. br. G; D. (72— 80) + (0—10) + (10— 21); A. 80—88'; 

 P. 19; r. 3; Vert. 108—111. 



Sijn. Tenia Miisli'larttm species, Schonev., Iclitiujol. 6'lesv. Hols., 

 p. 49; Mustela Lumpen Antverpice dicta, Willuqb., Hist. 

 Pise, p. 120; Akt., (Mustela), Gen. Pise, Append., p. 83; 

 (Bleniiius), Syn. Pise, p. 45; Gronov., J. F. (Blennius), 

 Act. Upsal. 1742, p. 87; Lin., It. Wgotli., p. 182; Gisl.. ! 

 1. c; Gronov., L. T., Mus. Iclitliyol., p. 05. 



'lennius vioipartis, Lin., Mns. Ad. Frid., p. 09, tab. 32, fig. 

 3; Syst. Nat, e.L X, torn. I, p. 258; Fn. Snec, ed. 11, p. 

 113; Mull., Zool. Dan., tab. LVII; ^etz., Fn., Suec. Lin., 

 [>. 325; Cuv. (Zoarces), ]. c. ; NiLSS. (Zoarcceus), 1. c; Ekstr., 

 Vet.-Akad. Handl. 1834, p. 48; Flmnq (Gunnellus), Brit. 

 Anim., p. 207; Cuv., Val. (Zoarces), Hist. Nat. Poiss., vo\. 

 XI, p. 454 ; Fk., Ekstr., v. Wr. {Zoarcceus), iSkond. Fisk., 

 cd. I, p. 36, tab. 8, fig. 1; P.iRN. (Zoarces), Mem. Worn. 

 Soc, vol. VII, p. 337; Kr., Danm. Fiske, vol. 1, p. 355; 



" Machoeriiim, Richardson, Voy. Ereb.. Terr., Iclitliyology, p. 72, tal). 44, figs. 1 — 0. 

 ' Cat. Brit. Mus., Fish., vol. IV, p. 388; Intr. iStud. Fisli., p. 550. 

 ' Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. 1802, p. 501 and 1803, p. 254. 

 '' Eel-like, fruin fj'/e^i'g and cui/'. 



' Zoopliyl.. p. 77. As early as 1760 (Act. Helvet., IV", p. 259) Gronovius applitil it to tlie Eclpcmt, but tlicn witliout cliaraeterizing 

 the species. 



/ Cov., Val., Hist. .\at. Poi.^s., vol. XI, p. 452. 



» Proc. .Vcad. Nat. Sc. Philad. 1803, p. 250. 



'' Zwag/.»[g, li/e-preservinf/. 



' Pegne Anim., 1. c. 



■' Prodr. Ichtli. Scand. (1832), p. 104. 



* Sometimes 89, according to Moreau. 



