LYCODIN^. 



41 



The body is thus modei'ately elongated {zoarciforrn), as the height over the anus amounts to 

 9,1 — 10,5 ° o of the total length. From the neck to the anus it is almost of even height, thereafter the 

 height graduall\- lessens towards the pointed end of the tail. The tail is compressed, likewise the 

 trunk, as the thickness here is still somewhat less than the height; the greatest thickness lies forward 

 on the cheeks and is somewhat greater than the height over the anus. The head and trunk together 

 are a good deal shorter than the tail, as the distance between the snout and the anus amounts to 

 39,1^ — 41,2 % of the total length. 



The length of the head is 22,1 — 25,3% of the total length. It is tolerabh' elongated, as the 

 height over the neck is contained twice or somewhat more in the length; if is also compressed down- 

 wards, flatly arched above, curved outwards at the sides and tolerably flat below. Seen from the side, 

 the over margin forms a slight cur\'e to the fore end of the snout, whose smooth point extends more 

 or less forward in front of the intermaxillary; this again is in front of the mandible, so that the mouth 

 lies on the under surface of the head. The eyes are tolerably small, their longitudinal diameter (in 

 individuals over 100 mm. length) amounting to 4 — 4,4% of the total length. Seen from the side, the 

 upper border of the eye curves up over the margin of the brow; seen from above, there is a space 

 between the two eves which is almost equal to the vertical diameter of the eye; they are for the rest, 

 oval, longer than high. On the cranium, the breadth of the forehead between the eyes amounts to 

 only ca. '20 of the length of the head. The snout is tolerably long, its length reckoned to the anterior 

 border of the eye, being ca. 7 — 8,5 "/o of the total length; the males seem to have the longest snout; in 

 the 158 mm. long male the length of the snout is 8,5% of the total length, in the 1S3 mm. long female 

 only 6,8 °/o. The shallow pits along the borders of the jaws are specially distinct in well-preserved 

 specimens. The nostrils are in the form of tubes as usual. The teeth are short, conical, truncated, 

 but tolerably strong, inserted on the intermaxillary (double row in front, single behind), on the palatals, 

 vomer and mandible (in several rows in front). 



The dorsal fin, whose distance from the snout is 29,5 — 31 " o of the total length, contains 

 ca. 97— 100 rays'), the anal ca. 84^); in both cases half the caudal fin is as usual included. The pectorals 

 have (18)19 — 20(21) rays-i). The ventral fins are relatively smaller than in other species. 



The scales are laid down early. In the two smallest specimens (total length 53 — 53,5 mm.) the 

 scales are already in process of development on the foremost part of the body (see Tab. IV, fig. i a), 

 and in the 85 mm. long specimen (Tab. IV, fig. i b) the}- cover the anterior part of the tail, also the 

 trunk as far as the beginning of the dorsal fin, though the anterior portion of the back and the whole 

 of the belly are naked. The 104 mm. long specimen (Tab. IV, fig. i c) is already almost entirely covered 

 with scales, from near the tip of the tail forward as far as the dorsal fin extends; the anterior part 

 of the back is however naked, as also a small portion under the base of the foremost part of the 

 dorsal fin and the belly, or speaking more accurately, that part of the trunk which lies under the 

 branch of the lateral line descending towards the anus. In the 115 mm. long specimen, there is 

 a slighth- larger naked part posteriorly on the tail, but the scaly covering has the same distribution 



1) According to Collett 9S — loi. 



2) — - — S4-86. 



3) — - — iS -19. 

 The Ingolf-Expedition. 11. j. 



