This circumpolar arctic form has been split into three subspecies by P. Y. 

 Schmidt. The subspecies orientalis Schmidt is found from the Kara sea east to 

 Bering Straits and is also found m rhe Bering Sea (61° 06' N 179" 40' E). In our 

 collection are a consideriible number of examples found at 27 stations in the 

 north Bering Sea (to south of cape Navarin and Natalie Bay) and through Bering 

 Straits to the Chukchi sea (north to 70° 25' N). Usually on sandy bottoms, less 

 common on gravel; at negative bottom temperatures or close to zero . Considerable 

 range in adults (from 2.2 to -1.7°) and from depths of 30-93 meters, though 

 oftener at 40-60 meters. 



G. tricuspis orientalis Schmidt is close to the typical G. tricuspis tricuspis 

 (Remhardt) from the north Atlanuc, but differs in undeveloped tubercles behind 

 eye and on occipital. It has a smaller interorbital (5 . 7-7.7% of head instead of 

 7. 6-8.7% in examples from the Barents sea) . A much broader head and many 

 other small characters. The males are rarer than the fe-males and pistilli- 

 form attributes under pectoral are absent (males havmg only ordinary plates as 

 found in all types).!.' 



G. tricuspis orientalis is the single representative of tJie genus in north 

 Bering sea (Anadyr Gulf) and appears to be most abundant. 



44 . Gymnocanthus pistilliger (Pallas) 



This species is usually reported in southern Bering sea but also in the north 

 and in Chukchi Sea (Scofield; Evermann & Goldsborough) . However, of the many 

 trawls in the north Bering and Chukchi seas in 1931-1935 (some 200 hauls) there 

 isn't a single example of this form. However, a closely related form G. tricuspis 

 orientalis Schmidt was found at almost all stations. G. pistilliger is common in 

 the Japan and Okhotsk seas, eastern Kamchatcha to north of Karaglnsky Id. (P. Y. 

 Schmidt, 1927) and in the eastern portion of the Bering Sea. The single example 

 from Avachin bay measures: D IX, 15 A 17, E 18 LI 40. 



The occipital tubercles are well developed. Interorbital slightly granulated 

 but with smooth edges . Pectoral reaching to third anal ray. Ventral not 

 reaching anal fin, but extending behind anus. A female, measuring 178 mm. 



1/ 



The typical bony plates were taken for pistiliform appendages by V. Pietchmann 

 on this basis misidentifies G. tricuspis orientalis as G. pistilliger (Medd. om 

 Gron. 1932, bd. 92, no. 3, p. 21) by error. Also we note fig. 12 that depicts 

 a male G. tricuspis is labeled Myoxocephalus scorpius . 



27 



