LYCODIN^. 



Lycodes Reinliardt. 



Lycodes Reinhardt, Overs. K. D. Videiisk. Selsk. Forhandl., 1S30— 31, p. 74 (va/tliij. 



Body moderately elongated (zoarciforni), height over the amis ca. 7 — 12';, times in the total 

 length. R. br. 6. 



Lycenckelys Gill. 

 Lycenckelys Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., 18S4, p. 180 (tnuroena). 

 Body very elongated (angnilliform), height over the anus ca. 16—24 times in the total length. 

 R. br. 6. 



Lycodojius Goode & Bean. 

 Lycodonus Goode & Bean, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., X, No. 5, 1883, p. 208 (mirabilis). 

 Bod}' very elongated (angnilliform), height over the anus ca. 21 — 30 times in the total length. 

 R. br. 5. 



In addition to being natural, such a division of the old genus Lycodes Reinh. contributes in an 

 important manner to simplify a review of the species. In the present treatise 19 species are described 

 in detail. Of these 6 can now be ascribed to the genera Lycenckelys and Lycodonus, which are 

 characterised by a very elongated, eel-shaped body. The genus Lycodes thus limited contains the 13 

 species with a less elongated, zoarciforni bod>-. 



We ma\- now pass over in review the characters of importance for the distinction of the 

 species, beginning with the genus Lycodes, which- in spite of the reduction that has taken place 

 contains a somewhat considerable number of ver\- difficult and much disputed species. 



Lycodes Reinhardt. 



(cf. the synoptic table p. 11—12). 



In a treatise on ; Gronlands og Islands Lycoder», C. F. lyiitken has given a review of some 



species known to him and divides them into three subdivisions according to the course taken by 



the lateral line'). A foundation is thus laid, in my opinion, for a natural grouping of the species 



of Lycodes, on which one must build further. 



The species dealt with in the present work may also be grouped according to Liitken's 

 system, in the following manner 2): 



a) lateral line single, ventral: 

 Z. vahlii Reinh. 3) 

 L. frigidiis Coll. 

 L. atlaniicHs Jensen. 



■) Lutkeu: Korte Bidrag til nordisk Ichthyographi. III. V'idensk. Meddel. Naturhist. Foren. Kbh™., 1879—80 (p. 329). 



2) A single species, /.. microcephalus Jensen, cannot for the present be brought into any certain group, as it is only 

 known from a quite small indi\'idual on which the course of the lateral line cannot be determined with certainty. 



3) Concerning the proper place of this species Liitken has had some doubt, as he writes: «Lineae medio-lateralis 

 interdum vestigium ?» but that has happened because he had assigned to L. vahlii a specimen of L. eudipleurosticius mihi 

 which possesses a double lateral line. 



